May R. Ayamonte, author of the novel Las niñas salvajes, will meet with readers on September 16 in the Auditorium of the Palace of Charles V to launch the second season of the Alhambra Reading Club. The writer, whose family has roots in both Granada and Ayamonte, grew up between these two locations.
Ayamonte arrived in Granada ten years ago with the initial plan to stay for just one year to finish her degree in English Studies. However, the city captivated her, and she decided to settle permanently, abandoning plans to move to Madrid to work in the publishing sector.
The writer describes Granada as a place with exceptional quality of life and a rich cultural scene, elements she values above large metropolises. "I need to live in a place with many cultural networks, and Granada has that," she stated, adding that walking through its heritage streets is a "privilege".
Regarding her work Las niñas salvajes, Ayamonte addresses themes related to historical memory and the relationship with certain religious hierarchies, despite coming from an atheist and skeptical family. "I am very critical of abuses of power and the violence that has historically been exercised," she noted.
This novel marked a professional turning point as her first adult novel and her genre shift. Setting it in Granada, a provincial capital, was a risky decision that proved successful, breaking the trend of locating noir novels in major cities like Madrid or Barcelona.
Ayamonte also revealed that she plans to change literary genres after her current thriller project, showcasing her versatility as a writer.
