The first novel of Spanish author Alana Portero propelled her to international fame, with the help of fans such as legendary director Pedro Almodóvar and popstar Dua Lipa.
Bad Habit is a dark and poetic coming of age-story, eliciting comparisons to writers such as James Baldwin and Édouard Louis. Set in a Madrid suburb, the poor and religiously conservative San Blas, in which heroin abuse is widespread and violence never far away, the novel follows the trans girl Álex, growing up in a body that feels wrong, and unable to conform to the strict masculine ideals of her surroundings.
Portero describes opaque plastic bags of women’s clothing stuffed away in the childhood room, and nightly walks back from Madrid’s clubs, during which all signs of Álex’s womanhood has to be erased before she reaches home. She finally finds her salvation in a number of unforgettable women she meets on her way, women who show her alternative futures, provide friendship and safety to explore who she is and wants to be.
Bad Habit is a story about liberation, but also about a working-class childhood in the shadow of Franco’s dictatorship, steeped in strict Catholicism and desperation in the face of non-existing future outlooks. Despite the harsh living conditions, it is also a childhood with room for love, empathy and community.
Alana Portero is a writer, a poet, a playwright and director. She is the founder of the stage company STRIGA, and the author of four poetry collections. Bad Habit has been translated into 17 languages.
At the House of Literature, Portero is joined by the Norwegian Priya Bains for a conversation about a working-class childhood, gender, identity and sisterhood.
The conversation will be in English.
