Maria: What exactly encouraged you to write?

Ana: I have always written, but I consider myself a journalist first. I prefer shorter formats, such as articles or short stories. I like immediacy more than long, complex projects that require a great deal of effort and development.

When I was pregnant, I was asked to write a book about motherhood. I had already written articles on the subject for women’s magazines, so it felt like a natural step in my evolution. It reflected what was happening in my life at that time. Later, I was also asked to write manuals for women of a certain age. So, it was an external publishing proposal that I accepted. My sister did the illustrations, so it became a family project. It is a very beautiful book, and I truly enjoyed working on it.

Maria: Why did you decide to switch to writing children’s novels?

Ana: Some time after my first book, Baby on Board, I wanted to sit down and write a novel. It took me two years of work, and the result is something I would not dare to reread now.

While I was working on this other novel, titled Those Blonde Women, I felt I needed something lighter and more playful. That’s when I started writing a story about a girl with a group of friends, inspired by Enid Blyton’s The Five, but placed in a more glamorous setting. I continued developing it because it gave me relief from the intensity of the novel. I eventually showed it to my friend Jordi Labanda, who created the character sketches.

Maria: As an expert on cinema and motherhood, what do you think of the current representation of mothers in films such as The Dark Daughter? Did you ever feel lost, like the protagonist, while raising your children?

Ana: Absolutely. This idealized image that has always been presented to us —of constant, overwhelming happiness— is not real. When motherhood actually happens, you realize it does not match that script.

For me, my children are the most important people in my life. I feel an almost supernatural love and passion for them. But there are mothers who experience things differently, or who suffer from postpartum depression. I also went through periods, myself, when I felt alone in parenting. Every motherhood is different.

Maria: You have worked in many fields: presenter, editor, columnist for El País… Do you change careers because you lack a single vocation, or because you are naturally curious and multifaceted?

Ana: It could be a bit of both, I had never really thought about it (laughs). I think my vocation is adventure. Life is too short to dedicate yourself to just one thing. My real vocation is change, constant learning. Even so, I am not someone who is entirely defined by one role: I am not only a writer, or only a cinephile, or only a mother. I remain interested in many things and I feel I would need two or three more lives to do everything I would like to do.

Maria: Do you have any unfinished business or projects you would still like to pursue?

Ana: I would have liked to direct films or edit videos. When I was young, a counselor told me I would be good at photography and video editing. In fact, before I became a presenter at Canal+, I worked in video editing. I was passionate about it and I think I would have enjoyed being a director of photography, especially for shorter formats like music videos. But that kind of work requires large teams, whereas writing books is a solitary process.

Maria: How do you manage to do everything?

Ana: I used to manage everything by taking time away from other things. I haven’t been the best writer, the best presenter, or the best mother. I would say I’ve been a “B” in all of them, but never an “A.” Over the past few years, I have been trying to focus more on motherhood. I organize myself better now, although I still work a lot. And yes, I somehow always end up with an empty fridge.

Maria: Do you have any literary projects in progress?

Ana: I have temptations. People often ask me to take on new projects. But now I think carefully before saying yes. I used to jump into everything without a safety net. Now I only want to work on things I am truly passionate about. The book La Banda de Zoé was my great passion for a long time. I would like to find something that meaningful again.