The Literary Phenomenon of Malaga's Mauricio Folk: Six Novels Published at Once

The writer from Malaga, Mauricio Folk, has surprised the literary world with an unusual decision: to publish six novels at once, four unpublished and two reissues, all self-published and accompanied by illustrations from Manuel J. Iniesta of Jaen. "I did my research and couldn't find anyone who had released more than two books at a time. I went all out with six, including the two reissues," explains the daring author known for his fantastical style.

The project, which took him nine months of intense editing work, includes two titles from his 'Chronicles of Gienah' saga, 'Memories' and 'Anecdotes'; 'Human Apocalypse'; 'The Seasoning'; 'Adalid Rank' and 'The Cantina (An Coileach Dubh)'. In these, high fantasy coexists with folklore, role-playing games, superpowers set in Malaga, a tribute to video games, and even an experimental proposal of ergodic literature.

Folk, who had previously published with a publishing house, confesses that his experience was not positive. "I ended up unhappy with the publishing world in general. Time passed and I decided to return, but with the need to have total freedom," he states. This independence allowed him to risk unconventional structures, like in 'The Cantina', where "96% of the novel is a footnote. Very few publishers would have let me do something like that."

This creative autonomy also allowed him to take care of every detail of the process: editing, layout, double-page maps, and more than a hundred illustrations. "I was surprised and a bit annoyed to find that they turned out with better quality than when I published with a publisher. They came out fully corrected, laid out, and with the illustrations perfectly integrated," he emphasizes.

A partnership with Manuel J. Iniesta

In this journey, he was not alone. The illustrator Manuel J. Iniesta, with a decade of experience as a cover artist, has thrown himself into the project. "The cool thing is that he gives me almost one hundred percent creative freedom. In the end, the illustration is not just decorative, it plays an important role in helping the reader imagine the world they are in and understand the characters," he shares. Each novel, in fact, has a distinct graphic style to reinforce its identity.

Iniesta admits that he had never been so involved in an editorial project: "We have been practically hand in hand. Even on an airplane trip, I was painting next to him. And of course, that shows." When asked about his favorites, he does not hesitate: "I stick with 'Chronicles of Gienah'. I had to create an entire world with him, a classic bestiary of pen and ink, and that level of involvement marks you."

Expand

Behind Folk's ambition is a personal story that explains his connection to writing. "I come from a foster center and from a very young age I took refuge in reading fantasy. Then I discovered that writing was even more powerful, it immersed me in each story and set me free," he recalls. Therefore, he insists that writing is not just a vocation, but a necessity. "It was impossible for me to stop writing. It's my way of being happy. Some find their happiness playing football or going out to eat, mine is creating stories," he confesses.

Although many of his plots explore imaginary worlds, Malaga also seeps into his pages. This is the case with 'The Seasoning', whose protagonist, Triana, lives in Churriana and travels through recognizable places like the center or the West Park. "It's not that it's set in Malaga, it happens in Malaga," the author emphasizes.

The challenge of launching six novels at once also seeks to open several doors to his universe. "I wanted any reader, depending on their tastes, to find an option: high fantasy, role-playing, video games, superpowers, gothic literature... It's my way of saying: this is what I do, these are my worlds."

Despite the magnitude of the project, Folk is already thinking about the future. "My goal has always been to publish twelve novels. These are six, half. I have another six that will be released gradually," he reveals. The writer himself is excited about the possibility of his works being adapted into other formats: "'The Cantina' could be taken to the theater, and 'Human Apocalypse' or 'Adalid Rank' would fit perfectly on the big screen. But for now, the important thing is that my stories find their readers."

Next Saturday, August 30 at 6:00 PM, Folk and Iniesta will present the six novels at the Comic Stores in Soho. "It's a huge project and we are very excited to share it with our people," concludes the writer from Malaga who will also be present with his new novels at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con Malaga.