Nahia Intxausti, a writer from Lasarte-Oria, always felt the urge to write, but had set aside this passion in recent years. It was a cancer diagnosis that brought her closer to poetry again. The result is Zainetatik zilarra, her first book of poems, published with Pamiela. The author is content, but also feels a touch of vertigo due to the journey the book is undertaking, having won the XXXV Ernestina de Champourcin Poetry Prize.
“"I would say that cancer has given me an opportunity to return to that world I loved so much; that is, literature. Perhaps, being a person so chained to this productive and reproductive daily life, I had somewhat set aside the things I do from tranquility and pleasure. The illness has given me some gifts, and writing is an example."
Intxausti explains that the illness offered her the chance to return to the world of literature, easing the burden of daily life. The creative process began when she received the diagnosis, jotting down the images that came to mind. Although she stopped writing during the months of chemotherapy, the greatest flood of inspiration came when she was in the process of returning to normalcy.
Nature has played a fundamental role in her healing and creative process. Mountains and the sea have always been her refuge, and during her illness, she felt the need to connect with nature's rhythms. She emphasizes that nature heals her and that she found no better literary anchor. Furthermore, she notes that chemotherapy itself comes from nature, from a tree, which has also given her pause for thought.
In the book, Intxausti also addresses the immense burden of aesthetic pressure during an oncological process. Although she was aware of the reflections from the Iñurri association, experiencing the illness made her realize the power of aesthetics in both the healthcare system and at a social level. She denounces that aesthetic advice is prioritized in consultations over health or healing, and that this is an example of the “cisheteropatriarchal” system. She also highlights that options for breast reconstruction are not equal in all cases, with more opportunities offered to women who are closer to normative standards.
Although the writer speaks from her personal experience, in the book she undertakes an exercise in collectivization, emphasizing the importance of networking. Thanks to this network, they have realized that illness and the body are political issues, and they want to make visible the things that need improvement. Finally, she states that illness not only affects the patient but also their surroundings, especially children, and she wanted to bring this into her poems, recalling the ideas of writer Susan Sontag.
