Something extra special today! Author Delphine Pontvieux shares her experiences with writing and running her own publishing company: Miss Nyet Publishing.

Delphine’s first novel, ETA Estimated Time of Arrest, looks at Basque history and politics through an artistic lens with the help of critically acclaimed Basque musician Fermin Muguruza.  Her upcoming work MIA Missing in Actun will fuse socioeconomic concerns with reader-centered writing. Learn more from Delphine’s delightfully candid answers to our questions… Interview with Delphine Pontvieux.

Your first novel, ETA- Estimated Time of Arrest is a political thriller inspired by Basque history. What was it about Basque culture that drew you to this topic?

It is an interesting chain of events, for I have no roots or family originating from the Basque country at all, other than the fact that my mother lived in the French side of Pays Basque for a couple of years, when she was a child. (And I remember her telling us how she had to recite her prayers in Basque language every morning at school.)

I think that my fascination for the language, the culture and the social and political history of the Basque people stems back from my first trip to Spain, when I was 11 or 12 years old. I was at a summer camp near Barcelona. One night, as we were all sitting around the fire after dinner, a friend gave me a cassette tape. On one side, there was this band called La Polla Records.