The writer – and grandson of Gabriel García Márquez – on Mexican folklore, his early love of horror and learning to live with the family’s literary legacy

Mateo García Elizondo, a 34-year-old writer from Mexico, may come from literary stock – his paternal grandfather is Colombian heavyweight Gabriel García Márquez and his maternal grandfather is Mexican literary giant Salvador Elizondo – but he is carving his own path at the forefront of a burgeoning scene in Spanish language literature. He has published a novel as well as written scripts for films and graphic novels. His writing is also included in Granta’s Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists 2, which was published last month. He was born in Mexico City, where he still lives.

How do you see the overall health of literature in Spanish?
I wouldn’t try to compare it with anything before, but Spanish-language literature is doing so well, with so many people doing interesting things, especially here in Mexico but also in South America, Spain, and even in Africa, as we are learning from the Granta selection. I love the literary horror of Mariana Enríquez, I am also a big fan of Fernanda Melchor and the way she uses “dirty” Mexican language and depicts the darker side of Mexico. I’m a big reader of Juan Pablo Villalobos as well and love his use of humour.