Mikel Ayllon: in the eye of the storm between fiction and reality

A turning point in his career was winning the Igartza prize, enabling him to publish his first novel. ‘Ez tiro egin anbulantziei’ (Elkar, 2015) explores a world in extinction, in an attempt to create a new one. His fascination with the influence of performance in literature led him to join forces with musician Igor Arzuaga to create Piszifaktoria Ideien Laborategia, an experimental group that merges various disciplines.

In 2020, Mikel Ayllon was awarded the Donostia Kutxa Prize for Literature for ‘Zoriontsuak izatea aukeratu genuen’ (´We choose to be happy´). This collection of short stories delves into the question of whether there is still space for happiness in the world. Two of the stories were adapted for the stage by Piszifaktoria, demonstrating increasing boldness in theatrical productions. Later, two street performances ‘Noiz utziko dio euria egiteari’ and ‘Asfaltoaren azpian euria’ enjoyed great success at some of the Basque Country’s leading theatre festivals.

Mikel Ayllon explores universal wounds with an almost desperate determination to make sense of the world. His writing deals with themes like human relationships, happiness, love, war, poverty and exclusion, aiming to establish a profound connection with his readers. For him, writing and creating are collaborative endeavours, resembling a dialogue or relationship. Ever observant of life, whether at concerts, theatres, cinemas, or seated on a park bench, he constantly seeks out new narratives.

Apart from his literary accomplishments, Ayllon has also worked in transmedia storytelling. He created and wrote a web series for the Basque TV and radio group EITB: ‘Daniel(a)’, which won Best Webseries in Euskara at the Seriesland festival in Bilbao.

For Mikel Ayllon, investigating the boundaries between reality and fiction has become the central focus of his work. Ayllon stresses that fiction is also part of reality, and that reality is nothing more than a fiction that we tell ourselves and others. He stresses that that by means of fiction, we can alter reality, beginning with beauty, love, and a communal spirit. His greatest challenge lies in contributing his part to the journey that others have embarked on before him, deepening the relationship between reality and fiction and paving the way towards transformation.

Mikel Ayllon took part in a literary residency in Barcelona as part of an agreement between the Etxepare Basque Institute and the city of Barcelona. There he worked on ‘Hegan egiteko gogoa da’ (‘The desire to fly’), a hybrid project between a theatre and artistic installation.

The work grew out of his interest in the subject of mental health, intending to critique the concept of health in affluent Western societies. This ongoing project aims to condemn the notion that individuals are deemed healthy or unwell based on their productivity levels, highlighting the marginalisation of those unable to match the productivity standards set by capitalism.

His exploration of schizophrenia served as the initial spark, and upon comparing the symptoms of schizophrenia with aspects of his own life, he discovered parallels despite lacking a medical diagnosis. Like many others, he is functional and productive, and therefore not considered ill, even though everyone has experienced moments of despair, breakdowns, or feelings of marginalization at some point. In the second part of the book, he relates the reflection on mental health to another marginalised group: people who are blind or severely visually impaired.

Ayllon wants to create a play that does not require vision, shifting the focus from the centre to the periphery. By melding these concepts, he wants to underscore that the things we can´t see or don´t want to see don´t disappear; they have smell, texture and sound. This marked the inception of his inward exploration of producing an invisible show.