On this occasion, we'll be joined by our authors, representatives of the LGBTIQ+ community, who will talk about their experiences and experiences in publishing their books, the writing process, and how they've been received by readers and the literary world.
1. What has your experience been like writing and publishing as an LGBTIQ+ writer?
Eva Van Kreimmer: First, I was really scared, not because of the publisher, who accepted us knowing who we are and never made a fuss about us, but because of how the public might react. Especially because Cristian published before, and someone asked him, "How are you going to sell your book to someone who isn't gay?" or something like that. I was also scared because my book, when it comes to interpersonal relationships, is more controversial. But the truth is that everything turned out well, and at my launch, no one asked anything like that.
Cristian Mateluna: My experience writing as an LGBTIQ+ writer has been fraught with insecurities. From the fear that the publisher would receive my story (which treats the expression of diversity completely naturally as part of the story, with distinctly authentic characters) exactly as I sent it, without modifying it to make it "acceptable," to the way my fellow writers in the industry would end up seeing me. On the insecurity side, at least Sietch has given me the guarantee of writing about topics and in a way that suits me without even suggesting a change, which is super good, since it implies full respect for the work and what the author intended to capture in it. Before Sietch, I had an experience with another publisher to whom I sent the manuscript for NeoMesías, and they treated it as a "mere pamphlet," which had a profound impact on me, as I felt a tremendous questioning regarding what I wrote. Ultimately, I'm left with the idea that this experience helped me find Sietch. On the other hand, regarding the reception in the media, I think that, although I'm not very well-regarded (yet), I think I'm someone different in every way. I like to think I can bring diversity, collectiveness , and authenticity to the media in a way that isn't afraid to show itself as it is.
2. Do you feel that your books have been well received by readers?
Eva Van Kreimmer: Yes and no, yes, because I expected a somewhat more negative response because of the human trade, but that hasn't been an issue so far. But anyway, I've only been here a few months, and I still don't have any reviews from readers, so I can't really say for sure if the fact that I haven't had any bad reviews is because people like it or because the book hasn't been read much.
Cristian Mateluna: I feel that NeoMesías and the short story Robots Caballeros - Robotinas Señoritas, from the anthology 8 Voces, have been very well received. They have really good reviews and comments, and that makes me think I didn't do too badly, considering it's my first published novel. At first, I struggled to convince myself that people would fully understand the story, that they would connect with the characters; it took me a lot of effort to find the "voice" of the characters so that they would have their own personality that radiated throughout the pages, but I've heard that it was achieved, and that pleases me. I don't know how many readers the story has reached, but from what I've seen, the comments are good (see Goodreads or Comiqueros). It's hard not to get your hopes up as a new writer fulfilling your dream, but for now, they've been done justice. In any case, I'd like NeoMesías and 8 Voces to reach many more readers and places.
3. What has writing meant in your lives?
Eva Van Kreimmer: Clarifying that it's timeless, it meant, means, and will mean. Writing is order. I'm a very intense, very passionate person. I'm always involved in activities and projects, so my head is generally in chaos. One moment I'm thinking about medieval combat, the next I get distracted reading some news, and the next second I'm thinking about different stories. Writing, for me, is about creating order. Whether on paper or on screen, it helps me organize myself and understand the world, and well, I suppose it helps the world understand me, too.
Cristian Mateluna: Writing began as a dream for me. When I first read The Lord of the Rings, at age 11, I got it into my head that I wanted to create my own saga, to have big books with pictures, languages, and so on. So, for me, it started as a fun activity that allowed me to express my imagination in a more dynamic way than drawing (before, I used to draw or record short films with clay monkeys). Over time, it became an escape from reality, allowing me to immerse myself in worlds and stories that I would like to experience but that reality wouldn't allow. And finally, today, I consider it a way to express my concerns and stances on various aspects of life (my stories always have criticism), and, without wanting to sound arrogant, it's also the way I find to read things I enjoy. Whenever I write, I think about "what I want to read."
4. Do you think that Chile, as a society, still has a long way to go to become a tolerant country?
Eva Van Kreimmer: Yes, I think we're still lacking a lot. We're still asking not to be killed or attacked. There's still a long way to go from tolerance, but we always aim for acceptance, no matter how far away it may seem.
Cristian Mateluna: Society shouldn't be a tolerant country; we don't need that. We don't want to be tolerated and forced to fit into their molds and schemes, ignoring them. Instead, we want to be equally respected and considered in every setting, considering our own differences. And that's something that many people who define themselves as part of diversity still need to learn. This happens because of a flaw in the discourse and in the visible faces that are taken as role models, which usually leave much to be desired because they end up sanitizing and cleansing everything to make it "acceptable" to the hetero majority. I find that terrible. Like when I was asked how to sell my book to someone outside of the community. If you look closely, there's this idea that one has to become acceptable to everyone else, when in reality, one should be able to be authentic without "adapting" to anyone.
5. Have you witnessed any change in attitude, perhaps among the new generations, regarding the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity?
Eva Van Kreimmer: I find that yes and no, there is a sector of youth, especially minors, who are very open to these issues, very willing to ask pronouns and accept that the life of the other or who they are attracted to is someone else's business and they don't interfere. That side is very supportive and I think they really try to understand those who are different.
On the other hand, there is a segment of the youth, who are sometimes the same age as the previous ones, who have much more rigid thinking and are more in tune with the ideas of the more traditional right. I think we can see a regression in the social progress we've made since the Zamudio Law. So, things are quite dichotomous; there are changes on both sides. I believe this polarization will be even more noticeable in the future, and just as we will have safe spaces, we will also have high-risk neighborhoods. We must be prepared for anything.
Cristian Mateluna: If I see any change, I'd say yes, but very faint. And it's precisely because the discourse from the most massive and visible activism has been misdirected. The same goes for mobile, for example, they've preached such a sanitized position about what a person is and wants to be, that ultimately all they do is reduce everything to passing it off within the world of heterosexuals. But there has been a dissent regarding this for some time. Organizations that go in a different direction are proliferating, also embracing the needs of trans people who had been completely forgotten. Regarding my field, since at least 2014, there's been a boom in transvestism, and it's moved from the underground to something dark and morbid and into something more artistic and wonderful. The lines are becoming more and more free in their little minds and actions, but at the same time, they're increasingly segregated, which shows the great damage that the hetero norm (and the hetero norm radiated to LGBTIQ+ people) has done through certain organizations.
