Jorge Diaz, Agustin Martinez and Antonio Mercero.Photo: Kike Rincon/Europa Press via Getty Images
Although it was no secret that Spanish writer Carmen Mola wrote under a pseudonym, fans of the author were shocked to learn that thewriter’s workactually came from a trio of men.The revelation came on Friday night at a ceremony for theannual Planeta literary prize, which this yearawarded 1 million euros(about $1,161,705) for Mola’s unpublished novelThe Beast,which is set to be released in November, according to the Planeta Prize’s website.At the ceremony, television writers Agustín Martínez, Jorge Díaz and Antonio Mercero went onstage to accept the award, revealing that they were the ones behind the work.An author page from Mola’s agent describes her as a Madrid-born writer whoused a pseudonym in order to remain anonymous. The page also features a black-and-white photo of a woman turned away from the camera.
Mola had previously been presented as a female university professor living in Madrid with a husband and children, perCNN.
Although the text on the agency page has not been updated since the revelation, it does feature media releases about the author’s true identity.
Carmen Mola.Amazon
“Carmen Mola is not, like all the lies we’ve been telling, a university professor,” Díaz said afterwards, according totheFinancialTimes. “We are three friends who one day four years ago decided to combine our talent to tell a story.““We didn’t hide behind a woman, we hid behind a name,” Mercero said in another interview with Spanish newspaperEl País, according toThe Guardian. “I don’t know if a female pseudonym would sell more than a male one, I don’t have the faintest idea, but I doubt it.”
In an article accompanying their interview with the authors, El País reflected on how the public’s original perception of the author’s identity concentrated on Mola’s “ultraviolet, macabre novels… made for a great marketing operation.”
Mola — whose work has beencompared to Elena Ferrante, the beloved pseudonymous Italian novelist behind the Neapolitan Novels, includingMy Brilliant Friend— has been heralded as “crime literature’s boldest and most enigmatic author,” according to publisherPenguin Random House.
The Inspector Elena Blanco trilogy—which does not include the author’s upcoming novel—follows a “peculiar and solitary” female police inspector “who loves grappa, karaoke, classic cars and sex in SUVs,” according toThe Guardian.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The revelation about the Spanish author has been met with some criticism.
Beatriz Gimeno — a former director of Spain’s Women’s Institute, a governmental institution working towards gender equality — called Martínez, Díaz and Mercero “scammers.”
“Beyond using a female pseudonym, these guys have spent years doing interviews. It’s not just the name, it’s the fake profile they’ve used to take in readers and journalists,” Gimenowrote, according toCNN.
According to theWashington Post,The Beastwas initially submitted for the Planeta Prize under a different pseudonym.
Carmen Mola is still listed as an author on Penguin Random House’s website. The publisher did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
