Because I never knew how to live out of my nature, I have always been someone who writes.
Perhaps the first part of the sentence should be finished before: because I never knew how to live. Although, sometimes, on a good day when I think that I know how to live, instantly I think that I must delete the word never and, when this happens, I feel wonderful. But it only lasts a moment. Quickly I return to the being that I am, and I write.
Because I don’t know how to live out of my nature, and even while it’s hard to define what exactly nature is, I can express myself with some accuracy only when I write.
-Gustavo Charif: first words from Microfilms, Taipei 2016.-
Although he has always been a writer, years ago someone reminded us that “Charif took writing so seriously, that now he has to make a living from his work as a painter”. This is because the nature of his writing leads him to work on his books for many years, always prioritizing writing over publishing. And that’s the reason why for three decades he published only a few pieces and collaborations, while his first books have only recently begun to be released.
To date, his published books (excluding art volumes and catalogs) are: Narraciones simples (Simple Narratives, short stories, Margent ed., 2018); Los rayos invisibles (The Invisible Rays, short stories, Caburé ed.).
He is currently finishing a pentalogy of novels begun three decades ago, writing two books of essays, translating literature from Chinese and other languages, and working on a screenplay for a feature film based on a proposal by the legendary Swiss artist and musician Dieter Meier. He has two unpublished volumes of poetry and a forthcoming novel.
To read his writer’s blog (with entries mostly in Spanish, though also some in English and other languages), click on gustavocharif.tumblr.com. To visit his author website, click on charif.my.canva.site or on the image with the text Últimas palabras (“Last Words”) posted on the same site.
Charif · 沙里夫 · 