When the Lights Go Out, by Bruno Clozel, tells a story of loneliness amid a blackout on the coast of São Paulo
In times of hyperconnectivity, art also needs to adapt to achieve its goals. This is what São Paulo writer and best-seller Bruno Clozel, author of more than 10 books and who published for the first time in Portuguese, the novel Quando as Luzes se Apagam, assesses, during a brief visit to Brazil in which he spoke exclusively with Jovem Pan News.
Based in Europe, Clozel began his career as a writer less than five years ago – an adventure that arose from the practice of telling stories in groups in Portugal. But the journey with the public, and especially the creation of community, came much earlier: since 2003, he has run Action182, the largest Brazilian fan club and portal about the North American rock band Blink-182.
The virtual experience began a long history with literature. In addition to translating song lyrics and news and making them available to a national audience, Clozel was also involved in the release of albums and books linked to the band, such as the biography of drummer Travis Barker.
Now, his self-discovery as a writer is beginning to bear fruit. The published books began to be sold in 15 countries and gained readers – the debut title, Fire Girl, reached the mark of best-selling foreign novel on Amazon Brazil. But it is with Quando as Luzes se Apagam, the Portuguese version of What Happens When the Lights Go Out, that the creation of a community became even more important.
“Community is nothing more than connection. And to create connection, you have to be sincere and honest. From the moment I’m doing something that is honest with myself, with the heart, people will see this and connect. Of course, each market has its own way of being, but I need to bring something that is my brand to break the bubble”, he explains. “From the Blink fan club, I launched Action Books and mixed the band’s community with the American football community with journalist Antony Curti [autor do livro Manual do Futebol Americano]. I bring this know-how. Now, this new book will have merchandising, because it’s all about connection.”
The point, according to Bruno Clozel, is to create a universe around the book – and not restrict it to just reading – offering a more “complete” experience to the reader. “It’s hard to think how many JK Rowlings there are in the world, an author whose book became a store, a theme park… Paulo Coelho is also an example in this sense, being translated all over the world”, recalls the São Paulo native.
Thus, Clozel seeks to import the success achieved abroad to Brazil. But in When the Lights Go Out, the connection – especially through social media – is the exact opposite. The book began to be produced in the midst of a blackout that hit Europe in April 2025, with restrictions on telecommunications and even causing deaths in Portugal and Spain.
“I started writing and, when I saw it, it already had more than 60 pages. They were fragmented excerpts, like small chapters, portraying this almost apocalyptic situation of the day”, he recalls. The complete work has 330 pages and immerses itself in the story of Josh, a fictional character who, faced with a blackout, finds himself in a sea of solitude on the Portuguese coast, whose reflections could very well come from one of the many foreigners living in the region in real life.
In fact, excessive internet connection seems to be the great catalyst for emotions outside the virtual environment these days. “Many people say that, after reading the book, they decided to turn off their cell phones, go for a walk, breathe the fresh air. I feel that we, as people, think we are living too much. We want to be everywhere, but we are nowhere. That is the main message of the book”, he highlights.
“In real life, we’re not even thinking about the main thing we do, which is breathe. Situations like seeing our favorite band in front of the stage and jumping with excitement, that’s living, even more so when we wait 20, 30 years for this moment”, says Clozel, referring to Blink-182’s only appearance on Brazilian stages, at Lollapalooza in 2024. “But, at the same time, there are people next to you holding their cell phones and recording the show”.
In Brazil, the launch of Quando as Luzes se Apagam featured two autograph sessions between March and April – one in São Paulo, the other in Rio de Janeiro – before the author returned to Portugal, where he has lived since 2023. The period, according to him, served to get closer to different cultures and further shape his personality as a writer.
Now, in addition to creating community, he also intends to write new books. And this time, directly in Portuguese. “I already have the draft and the project, but it’s a secret”, he concludes.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Jovem Pan.
