Today we talk about In Passing, a book by Markus Michael published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing Markus Michael to get to know him better, where he found the inspiration to write his book In Passing as well as how he chose the title of his book.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write your book?
On my sixty-ninth birthday, I visited Paris and stood in front of the place where, fifty years earlier, I had worked for a couple of months as a waiter to improve my French. It gave me the opportunity to reflect on how quickly those five decades had passed and, at the same time, how much had happened in between. One of the very few regrets I have is that I never documented the lives of my mother and her two siblings, all of whom lived to become centenarians. I have also always enjoyed reading biographies. Determined not to repeat that omission, and taking advantage of my recent retirement from professional life, I finally sat down to write my own story.
- What messages did you want to convey with your book?
Celebrating diversity lies at the heart of this book: the uniqueness of every individual life and the fascination of the moments when different paths cross. I have chosen a thematic rather than a strictly chronological approach, writing about the experiences and questions that have stayed with me and prompted reflection over the years. I could have explored many of these experiences in much greater depth—for example, a short chapter such as I Had a Farm in Brazil could easily have become a book in its own right—but I deliberately chose not to. Instead, I offer glimpses of different adventures and aspects of my life, leaving readers to imagine the details for themselves. Only occasionally have I yielded to the temptation—ever present in autobiography—to express strong opinions, particularly on geopolitics and religion. Otherwise, my hope is to encourage curiosity about other people and places, an appreciation of their idiosyncrasies, and above all, the conviction that our differences are among our greatest riches.
- How did you choose the title of your book?
In keeping with this panoramic approach to my life—which, by the way, is still very much a work in progress—I originally chose Held in Passing as the title. A friend to whom I showed the opening pages, asking whether she thought they made a good beginning, liked them very much but suggested that I drop the first word. The title has been simply In Passing ever since.
- How would you define your writing style?
I write much as George Sand did: freely, without overthinking, making corrections only afterwards and rarely altering or rewriting a passage. Rather than seeking effect, I strive for clarity. As I write, I usually translate a couple of paragraphs right away into my native German, since I publish all my books in both languages. Moving back and forth between the two often leads to unexpected improvements, with each version enriching the other.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
I’m currently putting the finishing touches to the sequel to my historical novel Foresight, named The Fifth Guest. At the end of the first book, I left its time-travelling protagonist—my alter ego—in an unexpected new situation. Wondering how he would manage, and feeling sorry for his mother, who remained in the future without receiving any news from her son, I felt compelled to bring their story to a more satisfying resolution. Once again, I couldn’t resist taking the narrative through different places and periods in time. Yet, in the end, the novel is an ode to the city where I live, although it is never explicitly named. At the same time, I have translated my shortest book, Hanna and the Final Truth, into Portuguese. Once published, I intend to translate my other books as well.
Europe Books thanks the author Markus Michael once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book In Passing.
To you, my dear reader, may this book intrigue you and make you reflect on the differences and the riches they bring to the lives of each of us.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your Editor!