A New Yorker of Irish/Spanish descent, Donna Leon first went to Italy in 1965, returning regularly over the next decade or so while pursuing a career as an academic in the States and then later in Iran, China and finally Saudi Arabia. Leon has received both the CWA Macallon Silver Dagger for Fiction and the German Corrine Prize for her novels featuring Commisario Guido Brunetti. She lives in Venice.
Donna Leon is the author of the Brunetti Mysteries, and in this episode she tells Jeniffer about her process, and how real life is always inspiring new ideas for her next books.
Having lived globally and travelled extensively, it’s no wonder she never seems to run out of those ideas—she writes at a pace of one novel a year! With her character, Brunetti, she wanted to create a protagonist who’s flawed, yet loveable, and put him into real-life situations to see what happens. And for nearly 30 years, her formula has been wildly successful!
You can find her here:
