Dr. Snider Desir, a trained scientist in molecular biology and biochemistry, made a decision that many dream of but few take. He ended his lease, sold his car, and booked a ticket to Paraguay. Not for a holiday, but to write a novel and immerse himself in a new language.
“I did not want to go a place where everybody was going and it was more known for just partying, vacationing and beach life,” he recalls. “It was really about looking for a place that was peaceful, calm without a lot of instability.”
Originally from Haiti, the Philadelphia-based scientist Snider Desir had already built an impressive career before turning to writing. He worked as a drug discovery scientist, specializing in immunology and cancer biology. Later, he also worked as a bioprocessing account manager in the biotech industry.
He was in a comfortable position to pause his professional path and pursue a long-held dream. He then made the bold decision to set everything aside and dedicate himself to writing the story of his childhood. That leap eventually brought him to Paraguay.
Finding inspiration in Asunción
Most people learning Spanish look to Spain or Mexico. But Snider Desir chose Paraguay for its stability, safety, and cultural depth. He knew the challenge ahead, Paraguayan Spanish often blends with Guaraní, but he welcomed it.
“I love the way Paraguayan Spanish sounds,” he says. “I like the fact that you could be talking to somebody and then there is a word or phrase in there that just completely just comes out of nowhere because it is not Spanish at all. To me, it is like music.”
In Asunción, Snider immersed himself quickly. He practiced daily through conversations, joined exchange groups, and recorded friends speaking naturally. He listened, mimicked, and repeated until the words flowed like song lyrics.
Paraguay gave him the calm he was seeking. “The main things were really how welcoming and nice people were. And the willingness to help with whatever language barrier might exist. Also, how safe it was, and how peaceful and calm. It gave me the environment I needed to sit down and focus on the work I wanted to do.”
That calm proved so powerful that what began as a one-month stay stretched into several, the country’s rhythm drawing him back even after short trips to Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.
A book born from memory and imagination
His novel, The Gift of Nightmares, is a fictionalised account of his early life. Born in Haiti, he lost both parents at the age of six. An uncle arranged for him to move to the United States, where he grew up mostly in Philadelphia.
The book follows a boy, beginning at his mother’s funeral, carrying a symbolic seed she placed in his hand. Guided by dreams and haunted by fears, he searches for where the seed will take root. While fictional, the journey mirrors Snider’s own resilience and cultural roots.
“As a novel written in third person, I could really get creative and kind of get into the character’s head. And explain the setting a little better, so readers could go on this journey with the character,” he explains. “You really can see as you are reading the story, the colors, the people, their demeanor, what the environment looks like.”
Published on Amazon, The Gift of Nightmares climbed as high as number 54 on the bestseller list. The response inspired Snider to expand it into The Gift series. A Spanish translation is already in progress, with plans to distribute copies in Paraguay, particularly to schools and literacy programmes.
Snider Desir’s message to others
For Snider, the lesson is clear: “Do not underestimate the story you have to tell and be willing to sacrifice a lot of the noise that are around you in order to create the space for yourself in order to tell that story.”
From the mountains of Haiti to the streets of Asunción, his journey has been about more than writing a book. It is about seeking peace, embracing change, and using one’s experiences to inspire others in any language.
Though he no longer works in a laboratory, Snider views his scientific background as a way to give back to the Paraguayan community. “It would be great to be involved in anything that helps advance the education of young people,” Snider says while he does not have a specific project in mind.
While city life in Asunción appeals for now, he dreams of one day living on land outside the capital, after adapting more to the country’s rural ways.
Read more : Reading For All: Paraguay Launches National Book Access Campaign
