The Swedish writer Camilla Läckbergwhich has published ‘The cry of the dead’ (Planeta) –the twelfth installment of the saga set in Fjällbacka– has assured that Spain is the “only place in the world” where you feel like a “rock star.”
“Spain is the only place in the world where I really feel like a rock star. People spend five hours in line, arrive crying, shaking or even bringing gifts. I love that enthusiasm“, confessed the Swedish bestseller in a meeting with the press in Madrid.
Läckberg, with more than 40 million copies sold in 60 countries, has returned to the universe of Fjällbacka to address a crime stagnant for three decades, delving into the psychology of the aggressor, violence within the home and the phenomenon of ‘true crime’ in contemporary society.
Thus, he has admitted that under specific “circumstances”, any human being could murder and that in his case he would do so if he saw his children threatened.
“Given the right circumstances would we all be willing or able to murder? I think so. There are some people, for example, who might murder for money, others who might murder for revenge, because they are victims of a sudden attack of rage. In my particular case, I know that what I would need is if someone were threatening the lives of my children or mine, I would be capable of killing,” he said.
Furthermore, he has recognized that in the creative process of his works he seeks to “understand” the motivations of criminals, marking a clear distinction according to the pathology or context of the character.
“I always try to understand the murderer (in my novels). In some books where he is a psychopath or a narcissist, I don’t understand the reasons, I am incapable of feeling empathy. But in this particular book it begins with the story of an elderly woman who has killed her husband, who subjected her to all kinds of violence; In that case I can perfectly understand the reason and empathize with the character,” the writer has argued.
THE LINDSAY CLANCY CASE REOPENING THE DEBATE ABOUT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Asked about the online trials that she follows as a fan of ‘true crime’ – specifically the case of Lindsay Clancy in the United States, accused of killing her children during an episode of psychosis – Läckberg has urged to open a social debate on maternal mental health, ensuring that she herself suffered postpartum depression with two of her four children.
“One good thing about this absolutely tragic event is the fact that we are all talking about postpartum depression. In this particular case it is clear that Lindsay Clancy had been asking for help in every possible way, help that she did not receive. The most positive effect is that we are talking about this. “It was time to have this debate about why women are not getting the help they need when 8% of women suffer from some form of postpartum depression,” she added.
Regarding the role of women in crime fiction, specifically in her own, as well as the tendency to focus on the aggressors, Läckberg has defended the need to focus on the victims and the intimate environment where violence takes place.
“A The focus is often placed much more on the murderer than on the victim. From the beginning I have taken it very seriously to focus on the victim and the impact that these crimes have on family and friends, he said.
Likewise, the author has reflected on the edges of motherhood and concealment, something central in ‘The Cry of the Dead’.
“I am fascinated by the cases of mothers of murderers who are in total denial. It has led me to ask myself: what would I do? Would he show up with a shovel to help hide the body or would he call the police? “It’s a dilemma about whether to protect your children at all costs or teach them a bad lesson,” he added.