Podcast Summary: Más de uno – Daniel Ramírez presenta 'Los días que no existieron'

Podcast: Más de uno
Host: OndaCero
Episode: Daniel Ramírez presenta 'Los días que no existieron': "Hay historias que necesitan una generación o dos para ser contadas"
Date: February 2, 2026

Overview

In this engaging episode of "Más de uno", host Carlos Alsina discusses with Daniel Ramírez García Mina—journalist, author, and regular program collaborator—his debut novel "Los días que no existieron." The conversation explores the novel’s themes of historical memory, journalism, political violence, and the mixing of real investigative experiences with fiction. The discussion is laced with humor and camaraderie among the participants, while delving into serious questions about memory, trauma, and the banality of evil.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Writing the Novel: Time, Discipline, and Origin

• Daniel describes the six-year journey (02:15) it took to write the novel, largely due to difficulty finding time amidst work, journalism, television appearances, and family responsibilities.
• The process was slow and organic: “Llevo muchos años escribiendo esta novela, ha sido una investigación larga, ... por encontrar los ratos para escribirla." (02:15, Daniel Ramírez)
• He insists on maintaining daily contact with the narrative: keeping the characters "living in my head" (02:47).

2. The Intersection of Journalism and Fiction

• The novel’s protagonist, Julia Mendieta, is a journalist, and much of her character is informed by Daniel's real experiences and interviews for "Más de uno", including those with elderly centenarians and victims of historical tragedies. (05:01)
• Daniel ties the research and testimonies from these interviews to the construction of his fictional narrative on Nazi refugees in Spain and political violence in the Basque Country and Navarra.

3. Plot and Literary Themes

• Opening Reading (06:44–11:04): The podcast features a dramatized reading of the novel’s opening, introducing protagonist Julia Mendieta as she visits a mysterious, somewhat hostile old bookseller in Madrid, who prompts her existential and investigative journey.
• The bookseller gives her Hannah Arendt’s "Eichmann in Jerusalem," introducing the core theme: "la banalización del mal" (“the banality of evil”).
• Julia is handed documents about Nazis who took refuge in Spain—a direct echo of Daniel’s personal experiences as a journalist. (12:22)

4. Real-Life Inspirations and the Blending of Fact and Fiction

• Daniel explains that several real-life testimonies, such as those of the daughter of a Nazi involved in the Guernica bombing and Spanish victims of 20th-century violence, directly inspired the novel’s characters and plotlines.
• He emphasizes the need for authenticity, drawing on intimate, sometimes hidden family stories—especially those that only surface after a generation or more. (16:26)
  • Notable quote: "Hay historias que necesitan una generación o dos para ser contadas". (17:45, Daniel Ramírez)
• Daniel’s own grandfather was extorted by ETA, a fact he only discovered as an adult, changing his understanding of his own family’s past.

5. Memory, Violence, and the Banalization of Evil

• The discussion turns philosophical: how violence becomes normalized or banalized within societies—from Nazi Germany to the Basque Country during ETA's reign of terror.
• Carlos and Daniel reflect on how childhood memories are tinged with hidden dangers—how entire families and communities adapt their lives around the threat of violence (19:49).
• Notable reflection: Daniel recalls childhood moments when local youths in rural Navarra matter-of-factly supported ETA, impacting his depiction of trauma in his protagonist Julia (21:24).

6. Journalism as Source and Setting

• The novel delves into the daily life and tensions of a journalist—debating whether fiction based on journalism can truly be separated from reality.
• Daniel shares how scenes of professional backstabbing, competition, and debate among journalists are inspired by—but not directly lifted from—his real life (13:45).
• The conversation includes anecdotes about how both fact and fiction intermingle when a journalist turns novelist.

7. Moral Complexity and Reader Engagement

• Daniel intentionally avoids authorial moralization, letting the story raise questions rather than provide answers: “El narrador no se inmiscuye en ningún momento en la moralidad de los personajes..." (22:32).
• The novel encourages readers to ask themselves: “¿Qué hubieras hecho tú de haber estado ahí...?”—whether in 1930s Germany or 1980s Euskadi.

8. Humorous and Memorable Moments

• Playful banter about authorship, book promotion, and the ordeal of being interviewed by one’s own colleagues (00:17–00:46).
• Carlos jokes about the book’s length and Daniel offers to personally dedicate (and even hand-deliver!) copies of the novel anywhere, including Latin America (25:58).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “¿De dónde sacas tiempo para escribir? Porque además la novela no es breve...”
  —Carlos Alsina (01:17)

• “Llevo muchos años escribiendo esta novela, ha sido una investigación larga, pero no porque esto sea crimen y castigo, sino por encontrar los ratos para escribirla.”
  —Daniel Ramírez (02:15)

• "Con nuestros centenarios, con mi primera vida, aquellos centenarios... yo empecé sibilinamente a vincular muchas de esas entrevistas a la violencia política, que es de lo que se trata la novela."
  —Daniel Ramírez (05:01)

• Extract from the dramatized reading:
  “Quiero una gran historia que le cambie a la gente la manera de pensar.”
  —Editor (07:07)

• “Hay historias que necesitan una generación o dos para ser contadas, y de ahí la relación entre Julia y el librero.”
  —Daniel Ramírez (17:45)

• On violence and memory in the Basque context:
  “Esto significaba que en mis recuerdos no se correspondían con la realidad ni de lejos...”
  —Daniel Ramírez (16:26)

• “La novela no es moral... El narrador no se inmiscuye en ningún momento en la moralidad de los personajes.”
  —Daniel Ramírez (22:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:17] — Introduction and humor about being interviewed as both a guest and collaborator
• [02:15] — Daniel describes the writing process and discipline
• [05:01] — Real interviews with centenarians inspire the novel's investigative core
• [06:44–11:04] — Dramatized reading of the novel’s opening scene
• [12:22] — Discussion of receiving Nazi-related documents and unreported real stories
• [14:12] — Using real-life journalistic experience as narrative fuel
• [16:26] — Discovering family trauma and generational silence about ETA extortion
• [17:45] — "Hay historias que necesitan una generación o dos para ser contadas"
• [19:49] — Banalization of evil and personal anecdotes about living with normalized violence
• [22:32] — Moral complexity and letting the readers judge
• [23:30] — Fictionalization of newsroom rivalries and behind-the-scenes anecdotes
• [25:58] — Joking about book signings and dedication offers
• [26:11] — Episode wraps up with gratitude and encouragement to read the novel

Tone, Style, and Final Note

The tone throughout the episode is warm, witty, and reflective—combining self-deprecating humor with the gravity of historical trauma and journalistic integrity. Daniel Ramírez’s approach is non-moralizing and investigative, echoing his belief that some stories—personal, collective, or both—require time, honesty, and generational distance to be told truthfully.

Final endorsement:
"Los días que no existieron" es vertiginosa, es un thriller vertiginoso donde el lector no puede dejar de leer. (25:15, Daniel Ramírez)

This episode is compelling for anyone interested in contemporary Spanish fiction, the intersections between journalism and literature, and the ongoing reckoning with Spain’s political history.