What began as a candid exchange in August 2012, when the writer Antonio Gala was still with us, centers on Borja Hermoso. The renowned interviewer, born in San Sebastián in 1963, reflects on a career shaped by pain, fear, and sadness. He speaks of a savage yet deeply compassionate linguistic impulse, a drive that sometimes erupts with raw anger, yet remains tender in its own, generous way.
Fresh from publishing numerous interview pieces for El País, Hermoso speaks with seriousness and introspection about the people who filled his notebook. The book gathers conversations with luminaries such as Fernando Arrabal, George Steiner, Nuccio Ordine, Clara Janes, and Irene Vallejo, among others, including names like Javier Marías and Juan Marsé. The tone suggests a mind perpetually ready with questions and a voice that carries the weight of long experience in the field of journalism and literary dialogue.
Hermoso is asked to share how he navigates the challenging space between inquiry and empathy, how he negotiates inner questions that accompany a life spent interviewing others. The conversation moves toward the opening question of his life, a probe that seeks to reveal the person behind the interviewer.
Do you remember the first time you asked a question?
Truthfully, not exactly. Yet a memory stands out from childhood: in a hat shop at the age of five, he wondered aloud to his mother why something seemed so heavy while searching for the best. It is a moment that stays with him.
And what did she answer?
Her reply was simple yet revealing. She wanted him to be good looking first, a reminder that early questions can be fueled by appearances and expectations as much as by curiosity. It is a detail he does not forget.
What should a question contain?
Sincerity and curiosity matter most. But the essential boundary is clear: arrogance and invading the other must be avoided.
What are the limits?
Common sense sets the frame. It guides what should not be done. Still, there is a pressure to be noticed and to land a headline, a tension that can feel embarrassing but is real in the field.
Do you ever hold back questions you won’t accept?
He answers by walking in another’s shoes. That practice—empathy as a tool—proved invaluable, for instance in his interview with Clara Janes.
What happened to her?
It was nerve wracking because the subject was someone he deeply admired. He admits nerves before any first question. Clara Janes appeared masked at the door, a sign that space is sacred and not to be intruded upon. It reminded him of the delicate balance between curiosity and respect.
Did the answers of any interview subject alter the questions he had prepared?
Yes, and the realization felt painful. When the interviewee has already walked a long road, the interviewer must step away from the script to hear something essential, even if it unsettles the plan. Nervous energy becomes a sign that the process is live.
What troubles him most about journalism today?
Noise. The clamor that sometimes has substance and sometimes doesn’t. The mess can be intoxicating, but it should not drown the core purpose of reporting and dialogue.
How did people react when they met him, and how does a seasoned journalist appear to those he meets?
Each interviewee carries a different story of origin. They often possess strong ideas and speak with force. Hermoso hopes they see him as a person first who happens to be a journalist, rather than merely a series of questions arriving with a stopwatch ticking away.
When did he realize that questions were working?
Often after the recorder is off and a more comfortable, candid exchange begins. That post-interview moment is when the tension releases and the deeper truth surfaces in the transcription.
Who proved the most challenging among his subjects?
Antonio Gala stands out, encountered in the heat of Malaga, wrapped in a calm, almost impenetrable presence. The encounter with Pascal Bruckner also tested him, yet the outcome surprised him in a favorable light. Style and defense gave way to openness in the end.
When a writer exits an interview not unscathed, is the session a failure or a success?
It is a measure of the interviewer’s craft. Some guests escape with their dignity intact, others with something to teach. The goal remains to fulfill the mission of the conversation, leaving both sides enriched.
Why would someone escape alive from an interview?
Escape can happen when the interviewer cannot enter into the character or when the guest is not in the right frame of mind to reveal more. It is not a personal shortcoming, just a moment in the dialogue.
What should a journalist do when what is heard hurts him?
The ideal is to acknowledge the impact without letting it derail the conversation. Humanness matters, and it can actually aid the interview in revealing a more honest truth.
Where do his boundaries lie in an interview?
The guidelines learned through training and behavior rules define the borders. Some topics simply cannot be pursued, and the discipline to respect those lines is essential.
What were his impressions of meeting Juan Marsé and Javier Marías?
Marías gave off a tone of agitation paired with lucidity which he found compelling. Marsé offered a witty warmth that commanded respect. Their differences illuminated the spectrum of literary temperament, and Hermoso valued both for what they offered in dialogue.
And Arrabal?
Arrabal felt like a whirlwind of energy and ideas. Hermoso cherishes his unconventional contributions to Spanish letters and notes that he has left a lasting mark that should be acknowledged more broadly.
Has fear ever visited him in the room with a guest?
Yes, in the presence of Irene Vallejo, a moment that reminded him how intimate and unpredictable human stories can be. The fear came from the weight of trust and vulnerability he was about to publish, especially when it touched his own family life.
What about the imminent danger faced by Saviano during his interview?
Saviano appeared guarded and protected, surrounded by bodyguards. The threats from organized crime were very real and immediate, a sobering reminder of the risks that accompany truth-telling in dangerous times.
To close, what postcard does the journalist’s childhood send today?
Being surrounded by family in a rural northern Navarra hotel is the postcard that lingers. Those memories shaped the person he became and continue to guide him with enduring value that persists beyond the interview room.