The (Unexpected) Benefits of Being an Author in Spain

I’ve always believed that authors were rock stars. Fun fact, here in Spain, it seems authors definitely fall in the celebrity category. We’re not exactly talking Beyoncé or Rafael Nadal status, but they definitely receive mad respect.

I’ve only been here for about a month and I’ve already experienced some unexpected and delightful benefits from being an author in Spain. Now, what I’m about to share is clearly my personal experience only and holds no weight as actual fact, but it’s still a story worth sharing, so here I go.

Meet the “American Writer”

Back in 2019, when our family spent six weeks living in Cadiz, Spain, an old friend of el esposo – let’s call him Juan — kept pressing my husband to have dinner with our family. I mean, like, Juan really made it clear that he wanted to take us all out to dinner. I kept asking el esposo, ‘why does Juan want to meet us so badly?’ And el esposo could only shrug. He just figured Juan was being friendly.

Turns out, what Juan wanted, was to meet me! He was just fascinated by the fact that I was a writer. He peppered me with questions about my books and my life. He was very earnest and kind and he even brought me a gift, a book. I was flattered but a little surprised by his enthusiasm. I just thought his level of excitement seemed mildly excessive. But I guess that says more about my own impostor syndrome than his appreciation for the work I do. After dinner, Juan took us to his favorite bar and he introduced me to all of his friends as “the American writer” and I had to blush and smile at all of the attention. By the end of the evening, I was feeling quite special and humbled.

The Benefits of Being an Author In Spain When Trying to Rent an Apartment

Although that was a wonderful evening in Cadiz, I simply assumed that Juan was a bibliophile, and nothing more. But I was wrong. As we’ve been on our current journey in Malaga, trying to find a home, it seems there are a lot of people like Juan who place authors in high regard. So much so, they are happy to rent their homes to them.

Case in point, the owner of the first house we looked at took el esposo and I out for breakfast, presumably to get to know us better before he decided whether or not he wanted us to be his tenants. But before we could even get to sharing our financial details or discuss the cost of utilities, this landlord had to tell me how excited his girlfriend was to meet me because she was in the process of getting her degree in American literature. He literally told el esposo that he was going to ignore him for the time being because he had so many things he wanted to ask me about my work. Sadly, we didn’t end up renting his house, but I really enjoyed our conversation and once again felt so humbled to hear other people think the work I did mattered.

When we finally found our forever home, the wife of our new landlord remarked casually to the relator, “Oh, Lori is famous. She’s written several books.” That’s when I decided that this literary love fest must be a national trend.

I’m So Famous I Got a Bank Account

El esposo and I have been having a hard time getting a bank account opened because my darling husband doesn’t have certain paperwork he should have as a Spanish citizen since he’s been living in the United States for the last 25 years. Ultimately, we decided I should open the account in my name even though technically I have no real official standing in Spain yet.

When we walked into the bank (the fourth one after being denied three other times) I had every piece of official paperwork and documentation with me, determined to get an account opened in my name. But for the first 15 minutes, the bank agent tried to prepare me for another denial. He said he would try to open the account for me, but with my lack of official credentials, it would be a hard sell to his superiors. As we proceeded, he asked for my personal details and eventually asked for my profession. I said I was a writer.

He made a note of it with an eye roll, which suggested to me that he was convinced I would never be approved for an account. At he neared the end of the “interview,” he asked if I had anything else to add to my application and I said jokingly, “Can you add that I’m a famous writer?”

He stopped typing. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Remembering the awe and respect of my landlords, I was like, “I have published several books.” El esposo chimed in by singing my praises and mentioning that my books are all available on Amazon. (Even though el esposo at this point is basically an undocumented alien in his own country and my husband, his high praise apparently did the trick.)

“Well why didn’t you say that?” the bank agent said. “Send me the Amazon page, I’ll add that to your application.”

“Really? “I said, doubting that Amazon was about to get me a bank account. But I didn’t hesitate and sent him my page.

Fifteen minutes later, I was signing papers and creating a new pin number for my bank account!

I Didn’t Come Here to Play…I Came to Write

When I made this monumental decision to uproot myself and my family to come to Spain, I wasn’t just looking for a new location to live my same life. I wanted to change my life. I’ve always been a writer, but I’ve had to carve out bits and pieces of time from the work that pays the bills in order to write. Now that I’m in Spain, I want to reverse that paradigm. I want the writing to come first. And with this kind of lovefest from random people who don’t even know me; this unconditional respect for wordsmiths and scribes; and the absolutely gorgeous landscape that inspires me every morning when I open my eyes, how can I not be putting pen to paper?  I didn’t come here to play. I came here to write and the universe is conspiring to make my dreams come true by putting me in this place where writers get to be rock stars. I’m ready to get #Lit

I’m curious. Do you think authors/writers get more respect outside of the United States like teachers do? What have your experiences been like?