NEW TITLES ADULT FICTION AND NON-FICTION TOP TITLE ALFAGUARA 2020 YAS (Alfaguara) Eduardo de los Santos DEBUT LITERARY NOVEL

“In a few decades, those of us who lived through it will say it was the emptiest Tuesday morning that my generation remembers.” ©Monique Nica ...

Yas is the title of the perfect song. It is the nickna- me of Tania, the shy, young trumpeter and singer whom almost all of the characters in this book seem eager to track down. And it is a simplified spelling of jazz. Yas is a word with just three letters but many meanings. This de- Eduardo de los Santos (Madrid, 1992) has a degree in Philo- but novel recounts the sleepless night of Manu, a young sophy and also studied Spanish Lan- bookseller and journalist who wanders across a deserted guage and Literature. He has worked early morning Madrid, seeking out or evoking everyone as a bookseller in Madrid since 2014, associated with a lost love, while his current partner, Ire- has won numerous prizes for short ne, wakes up alone in an empty house. The book echoes stories, and his work has appeared with music, with footsteps in the darkness, with readings that pulse behind this text in several anthologies. His writing of breathtakingly unexpected maturity. And there is also the sound of doors opening has also been published in the ma- and closing, in nightclubs or in distant houses, where Yas or jazz might be hiding. gazines Escritura e imagen, Suralia, Ámbito Cultural, Zenda (with a pri- zewinning short story) and Eñe (as shortlisted entry for Cosecha Eñe 2018). He contributes to Oculta Lit. and Drugstore Magazine. During 2017–18 he was part of the 16th Fun- “Yas is one of those rare novels —and this also happens with some songs— that dación Antonio Gala Residence for make you want both to stay and live inside them, and to leave them to go outside Young Creative Artists in Córdoba, and discover if the life of which they speak really exists. It accepts all the risks of where he wrote his first novel. rewriting Bolaño and offers the Chilean a posthumous gift: a school, or the possibili- ty of a school. Yas is a Savage Detectives for Madrid, one in which literary references —thankfully— are scarce, giving way instead to musical ones or, rather, references to jazz […]. This is an intelligent, well-structured text that will resonate differently with each reader: and some, if they are lucky, will even hear a blue note or an unforgettable dissonance.” Munir Hachemi

2nd EDITION

PUBLICATION DATE 23 JANUARY 2020

1 HASTA NUNCA, PETER PAN (Espasa) (See you never, Peter Pan) Nando López NOVEL

©Lourdes Cabrera For readers who are 40 years old now, this book will be like the TV series Friends when they were 20. ...

David has reached that moment in his life when all he has are doubts: he doesn’t know if what he does is really satisfying, he’s not on Nando López (1977) Is a novelist and playwright, and has a doc- the same wavelength as his girlfriend, and he torate in Spanish Language and Literature. Critics doesn’t feel particularly comfortable around his have identified him as “one of the outstanding friends, either. The typical problems of any ado- voices of his generation” (ABC Cultural), he was lescent. With the minor detail that he is forty-two shortlisted for the Nadal Prize 2010 with La edad years old, not fifteen. When his sister, Bea, asks de la ira [The Age of Fury] (Booket Planeta), a no- him to take care of his nephew, Unai, for a few vel that has become a touchstone for teachers, pa- rents and students, with its fearless portrayal of the weeks, he is convinced it’s a terrible idea. And reality of Spain’s school system in the 21st century. not just because he doesn’t know this young person with all his secrets. Or because he hates sharing his space, his Central Perk mugs and and his VHS His novels “address many of the big issues facing tapes from the 1990s. But because, after years of working in the cinema with our society” (Revista Leer), and include titles such almost no recognition and even less success, he is finally about to participa- as Cuando todo era fácil [When it Was All Easy] te in a major project and on the verge, or so he claims, of making a movie (Tres Hermanas Ediciones), El sonido de los cuer- of his own. pos [The Sound of Our Bodies] (Editorial Dos Bi- gotes), Las vidas que inventamos [The Lives We Invent] (Espasa) and La inmortalidad del cangrejo A novel about the tales we tell ourselves and the stories we don’t dare [The Immortality of the Crab] (Baile del sol). He has to live. also contributed to collections of short stories, in- cluding Lo que no se dice [The Things We Don’t Say] and El cielo en movimiento [The Heavens in Movement].

In addition, he has written a number of books that have been hugely successful with young adult “A paragon of unstoppable creativity: novels, short stories, theatre adap- readers, such as El reino de las Tres Lunas [The tations of work by foreign authors, his own plays and versions of classical Kingdom of the Three Moons] and the transmedia Spanish dramas. His talent opens unexpected doors and paves the way for novel Los nombres del fuego [The Names of Fire], new creative possibilities.” both published by Loqueleo (Santillana) and with multiple editions in both Spain and Mexico. Since CULTURAMAS 2016 he has edited and written the introductions to the collection Clásicos en el tiempo [Classics “An author who is as multi-talented as he is enthusiastic. His models ad- through time], designed to encourage young peo- dress many of the major problems of our society.” ple to read some of the classic works of Spanish QUÉ LEER literature. “The literature of Nando López connects with his readers because he is As a playwright, he has authored more than twen- engaged, he has the ability to explore emotions, and the capacity to move ty pieces, both in Spain and abroad. These inclu- de #malditos16 [#cursed16] (co-production with us with apparently everyday stories.” Spain’s National Theatre Centre, and performed at Inma Chacón Teatro María Guerrero), Las grietas del mar [The Cracks in the Sea] (monologue included in the collective production, Home, produced by Teatro Español), Los amores diversos [Different Loves], Tour de force, Cuando fuimos dos [When There Were Two of Us], De mutuo desacuerdo [By Mu- tual Disagreement](premiered simultaneously in Spain, Panama and Venezuela), and La edad de PUBLICATION DATE la ira [The Age of Fury], freely adapted from his own novel of the same name. He has also written 3 MARCH 2020 and adapted a number of classics, including Las harpías en Madrid [The Harpies in Madrid], (39th Almagro International Theatre Festival), Yerma (2015), by Lorca (winner of the Helen Hayes Prize 2015 for Best Theatre Show) and Don Juan Tenorio (2017), by José Zorrilla, both premiered at the Gala Theatre, Washington. 2 EL ACCIDENTE DE LAUREN MARSH (Plaza & Janés) (Lauren Marsh´s accident) Guillem Morales THRILLER

What is the threat that hangs over the inhabi- tants of “Century Europa” housing development?

...

Lauren Marsh goes out for her daily run, and falls into a poorly signposted hole that is the result of the road- Guillem Morales works on the “Century Europa” estate, where she lives. writes and directs for both cinema Fortunately, her injury is not life-threatening, but Cédric, and television. He received a Goya the insurance inspector in charge of the investigation, nomination for best new director discovers signs that the mishap may not have been en- for his acclaimed first movie, The tirely accidental. From that moment on, both will find Uninvited Guest, and his second themselves caught up in a mystery, where nothing is qui- feature-length film, Julia’s Eyes, sta- rring Belén Rueda, was a box office te what it seems: bloody events, residents with closely hit and was widely praised by critics. guarded secrets, and a hidden truth from which it is impossible to escape unharmed. Following this success, he moved to The accidents at “Century Europa” have only just begun. Leaving home can be a London, where he directed several deadly mistake. episodes of the BBC TV series, Inside No. 9, for which he received a BAFTA El accidente de Lauren Marsh (Lauren Marsh’s accident), the first novel by film nomination. He was responsible for director and screenwriter Guillem Morales, is a reflection on loneliness, guilt and the BBC adaptation of Evelyn Wau- isolation in a large city, presented in the form of a breathtaking thriller, with an intri- gh’s classic novel, Decline and Fall, and for the international hit, The Mi- cate plot and a twist at the end that will surprise even the most seasoned of readers. niaturist, based on the novel of the same name, by Jessie Burton. He also directed the television adaptation of La templanza, Amazon’s first produc- tion in Spain, and his version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, staged at the National Theatre of Catalunya, had a PUBLICATION DATE sell-out run. El accidente de Lauren 13 FEBRUARY 2020 Marsh is his first novel.

3 MALASANGRE (Anagrama) Michelle Roche Rodríguez LITERARY NOVEL

A vampire story that combines violence and eroti- cism, set in 1920s Venezuela.

©Emilio Kabchi ©Emilio Venezuela, 1921. Diana, the fourteen-year-old dau- ghter of a nouveau riche family in Caracas, discovers she has inherited the condition of haematophagia from her father, a moneylender and landowner who owes his posi- tion to his ties to the country’s ruling dictator. Her illness inclines her to violence against some men and distances Michelle Roche Rodríguez her from her mother, who holds strict Catholic beliefs. (Caracas, 1979) is a writer, literary cri- As she matures, Diana will suffer abuse at the hands of tic and journalist. She has published the fiancé whom her family are keen to see her marry, Álbum de familia: Conversaciones and she will endure both the brutality of her own family sobre identidad y cultura en Vene- and the tyranny of a militaristic and religious patriarchy. zuela (2013) [Family album: conver- Even worse is to come when she becomes entangled in sations about identity and culture in Venezuela], Madre mía que estás the shady activities and political plots of her father’s partners, an entanglement that en el mito (2016) [Our mother, who takes her to the private chambers of the presidential palace. It is the time of the oil art in myth], and the collection of revolution, and the country is under General Juan Vicente Gómez’s rule, a decisive short stories Gente decente (2017, period in Venezuelan history not just because he spent three decades in power but Francisco Ayala Prize for Narrative) also because his time in office saw the creation and consolidation of the country’s two [Decent people]. She contributes to major institutions: the armed forces and the rentier economy. numerous Spanish literary journals and Venezuelan cultural platforms. Michelle Roche Rodríguez has written a powerful allegory that combines the fan- She was a journalist at Venezuela’s El Nacional newspaper, a lecturer tastical and the historical, an exploration of sexuality and politics, the struggle to at the Faculty of Arts at Universidad affirm woman’s identity in a male chauvinist society… and vampirism as both symbol Católica Andrés Bello, and founder and reality. A seductive, entrancing and disturbing book about rebellion and trans- of Colofón Revista Literaria in 2014. gression. A novel that plays with the horror genre, exploring new territory, refusing to She has lived in Madrid since 2015. restrict itself to the usual well-worn tropes. Her website is: www.michellerocherodriguez.com

PUBLICATION DATE 29 JANUARY 2020

4 HIGHLIGHT RÓMPETE, CORAZÓN (Planeta) (Break, my heart) Cristina López Barrio NOVEL

“The case is a challenging one: a child has disa- ©Arduino Vannucchii ppeared in her own home, with no signs of violen- ce or the presence of any outsider on the property. Only the members of the girl’s family – her parents, her grandmother, her sister – and a crazy neighbour who was also connected to the girl in some way”. ...

Blanca Oliveira will soon regret having returned to Cristina López Barrio her family’s farmhouse on Mount Abantos, where twel- Cristina López Barrio was born in Ma- ve years ago her daughter Alba disappeared without drid and worked as a lawyer for thir- trace. A few months after moving there with Ricardo, teen years, specializing in Intellectual Property. After being awarded the Vi- whom she has recently married, and the two remaining lla Pozuelo de Alarcón Prize for chil- daughters from her first marriage, another of the girls dren’s literature with El Hombre Que disappears. History repeats itself: the age of the girls, Se Mareaba Con La Rotación De La the police inspector in charge of solving the case, the only clue (a red ribbon found Tierra (‘The Man Who Became Dizzy in the garden), the death of a horse, the fairytale linked to the family history, which With The Earth’s Rotation’), in 2009, weighs on each of its members like a curse. and the publication of the novel La Casa De Los Amores Imposibles (The Rómpete, corazón (Break, my heart) is a contemporary thriller featuring a ma- House of Impossible Loves), in 2010, she abandoned the legal profession triarchy whose protagonists (grandmother, mother and daughter) live on the edge of to dedicate herself to writing fulltime. madness. Cristina López Barrio offers us a choral plot where suspense and intrigue In 2010 she received the best newco- mix with the power of fate and of family ties, the fantasy of fairytales and the snares mer award from the well-known lite- of passion. rary blog Llegir en cas d’incendi for La Casa De Los Amores Imposibles (The House of Impossible Loves). This novel has been translated into fifteen languages and published in twenty-two countries, including the United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Sweden, Israel and Mexi- PUBLICATION DATE co. She has also published the co- NOVEMBER 26th 2019 llection of short stories El Reloj Del Mundo (‘The Clock of the World’) (2012), and the novels El Cielo en un Infierno Cabe (‘Heaven Fits in Hell’) (2013) and Tierra de Brumas (‘Land of Mists’) (2015). In 2017, she was awar- ded with the Planeta Finalist Prize for her novel Niebla en Tanger (“Fog in Tangier”).

5 REWIND (Anagrama) Juan Tallón LITERARY FICTION

One Friday in May, on what is shaping up to be a perfect day, there is a strange explosion in a building © Pablo Araújo in Lyon. One of the flats in the now ruined building was occupied by a group of students from various countries who were having a party. Paul, student of Fine Art; Emma, tormented by the tortuous history of her Spanish fami- ly; Luca, fascinated both with mathematics and with the cyclist, Marco Pantani; and Ilka, a student who left Berlin Juan Tallón with nothing more than a guitar on her back: these are (b. Ourense, 1975) has a degree in the tenants of a house that was a popular meeting place philosophy from the University of for the city’s students. In the neighbouring flat, also hit Santiago de Compostela. He con- by the explosion, lives a quiet Moroccan family, whose tributes to a number of newspapers members are apparently well-integrated into French life. and magazines – including El País, El The novel explores events from various points of Progreso and Jot Down – and regu- view. Through five narrators – victims and witnesses – we larly appears on the radio station Ca- dena SER. He is the author of several discover what happened that Friday night and the con- books in Galician, and in Spanish he sequences that unfolded over the next three years, until their accounts have covered has published both non-fiction – Li- every hidden aspect of the explosion. bros peligrosos [Dangerous Books] Rewind explores whether it is possible to rewind events. And examines our per- and Mientras haya bares [So Long as sonal ghosts, the role of chance, the people who in the end we do not become, the There Are Bars] – and the novels El secrets that must or must not be told, and our capacity to remake ourselves when we váter de Onetti [Onetti’s Toilet], Fin are broken. This novel is an espionage operation that investigates the mechanisms de poema [End of the Poem] and of life. How it changes without warning, turns, throws you into the air and destroys Salvaje Oeste [Wild West]. you when you are least prepared for it. And, just as mysteriously, how – if you survive everything life has to throw at you – it then allows you to remake yourself and keep moving forward

2nd EDITION

PUBLICATION DATE 12 FEBRUARY 2020

6 WINNER OF 2019 CASTELLÓN LETRAS DEL MEDITERRÁNEO PRIZE FOR NARRATIVE LA CHICA A LA QUE NO SUPISTE AMAR (Espasa) (The girl you didn´t know how to love) CRIME Marta Robles SOCIAL ISSUES

©Gonzalo Pérez Mata Tony Roures is a hard-bitten but sentimental for- mer war reporter turned detective. One day he recei- ves an unexpected visit from his old comrade, Alberto Llorens, who Tony thought was happily married to a rich businesswoman from Castellón, on Spain’s eas- tern coast. It turns out that Alberto’s marriage is in trouble and for some time he has been a regular at the most famous strip club in town. At the club he met Blessing, a young Nigerian sold into prostitution by Marta Robles Marta Robles is a journalist and wri- a trafficking network, who were forcing her to repay ter who began her career at Tiempo her travel costs and to whom she was also bound by magazine and has gone on to work a voodoo ritual. After a botched breast cancer ope- for many of Spain’s leading publica- ration she became “spoiled goods” and was murde- tions and broadcasters. She currently red. That is when Llorens starts to receive threats and, contributes to La Razón, La Gaceta fearing for his life, seeks out Roures. The detective de Salamanca, Espejo Público (Ante- launches a dangerous investigation that will uncover na 3) and Está Pasando (Telemadrid). a criminal trafficking network of particular cruelty. She is also a frequent guest on panel discussions and seminars, and regu- larly gives lectures and presentations After the success of her previous novels, A menos de cinco centímetros and La throughout Spain. The many prizes mala suerte, Marta Robles once again hits the target with this exploration of the sla- she has won include TP de Oro, An- very suffered by so many women, mainly illegal immigrants, who are trapped by the tena de Oro (twice), Antena de Plata organized criminal networks that operate in Spain. This superbly written novel deli- (twice), Woman de Oro, Premio Na- vers a twisting, carefully constructed plot that is peopled by characters whose moral cional de Comunicación and the Pre- ambiguity is both intriguing and irresistible. mio PR for Best Female Journalist. She has published seven non-fiction books and nine novels, including Lui- sa y los espejos (Premio Fernando Lara de Novela, 2013), A menos de cinco centímetros (shortlisted for the Premio Silverio Cañada de Novela Negra de Gijón, 2017) and La mala suerte (Premio especial de Aragón Negro and shortlisted for Cartagena 3rd EDITION Negra 2019). She lives in Madrid, is married and has three children.

PUBLICATION DATE 8th JANUARY 2020

7 HIGHLIGHT

MONGO BLANCO (Plaza y Janés - Penguin Random House) Carlos Bardem LITERARY FICTION

I am Don Pedro Blanco. Slave trader. Madman. Giant or monster. Mongo Blanco. The Great Wizard, the Mi-

©Chris Esqueda rror, the Sun. The King of Gallinas. Pirate. Father. Brother. From the slums of Malaga to an African throne, from the wonders of Havana to a madhouse in Barcelona. A pis- tol. If I had a pistol, I’d spatter the walls with my brains. This is the story of my guilt and my penitence.

Following his father’s death, Pedro Blanco leaves Ma- Carlos Bardem laga and goes to sea in search of a better future. Both (Madrid, 1963) is an actor and writer. cunning and determined, he gradually makes his way in He has a degree in History and a Mas- the world and becomes Mongo Blanco, one of the grea- ter’s in International Relations, and published his first book,Durango Per- test slave traffickers of the 19th century. But when he is dido, in 1997. betrayed by somebody close to him, his fall into disgrace He made his debut as a novelist with begins. He recounts his story to the doctor in the asylum Muertes ejemplares (Exemplary Dea- to which he has been confined, little suspecting that his story has not yet finished ths), which was shortlisted for the Na- and that a figure from his past has returned to collect an outstanding debt. In his final dal Prize. years, Mongo Blanco will have the opportunity to redeem himself or finally fall victim His second book, Buziana o el peso to his own excesses. del alma (Buziana or the weight of the soul), won the Destino-Guión Prize in 2002. With Plaza & Janés, he published La Carlos Bardem’s latest novel is the thrilling epic of a real historical character, the Bardem in 2005, a biography of his powerful and legendary Mongo Blanco. Spain, Cuba and Africa provide the settings mother, Pilar Bardem, a leading Spa- for this engrossing story, carefully documented and written with great attention to nish actress and political activist, and detail and astonishing emotion that will leave lovers of historical fiction, adventure Alacrán enamorado (Lovestruck Scor- novels and literature in general gasping for breath. pion) in 2009, released as a movie in 2013. Mongo Blanco is his latest novel.

“Don Pedro Blanco’s confession is an authentic testament to madness discovered in the magnificent imagination of Carlos Bardem. Mongo Blanco is unburied treasure, a chronicle of madness rescued from the still beating heart of darkness.” Barry Gifford, author of Wild at Heart and Perdita Durango

“A haunting exploration of the darker side of the human race, of the nature of mad- PUBLICATION DATE ness and sanity. A brilliant novel, stylistically dense, reminiscent of Lobo Antunes or a 23 MAY 2019 darker Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Bardem is a genius.” Philipp Meyer, finalist of the Pulitzer Prize and author of The Son

“Slave dealers, conflicting loyalties, hidden islands, flawed heroes, ferocious realism, sexuality and violence portrayed with the same intensity… Carlos Bardem has destro- yed the adventure genre only to breathe new life into it.” Fernando Marías

AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS 5th EDITION Optioned to KUBIK (Sánchez-Cabezudo 7.000 COPIES SOLD brothers) for TV series or movie.

8 HIGHLIGHT

MARIELA (Ediciones B.- Penguin Random House) Yolanda Guerrero LITERARY FICTION

©Yolanda Guerrero A STORY OF LOVE AND STRUGGLE SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A CHANGING WORLD

...

Yolanda Guerrero María Veruela, known to everyone as Mariela, is a nur- (Toulouse, 1962) A journalist by pro- se during the successive waves of the Spanish flu epide- fession. She began work at the Spani- mic that swept across the globe in 1918 and 1919. She sh national newspaper El País in 1987 encounters a cast of more than forty historical figures, who and developed her career there until are reimagined in a series of fictional episodes. Some, 2013. In 1997 she was a finalist for the such as the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, die in her arms, IX Ana María Matute Prize from Edi- ciones Torremozas. Although she is struck down by the disease. Others, such as Mary Borden, still active as a journalist she has de- Joan Peset and Alexandra Kollontai, guide her in the endless journey that symbolizes cided now to return to fiction. Based the circular nature of existence itself. on true events, her debut novel, El The old world is undergoing a radical transformation, and women are at the fore- huracán y la mariposa (‘The Hurrica- front of this change. Mariela meets nurses, writers, politicians… friends who reach out ne and the Butterfly’) tackles the bit- to her when she falls and who help her understand that all women can give birth to ter side of adoption (Catedra, 2017). ideas, even if they don’t give birth to children. Mariela is her latest novel. Throughout, she is engaged in a fight to the death with her mortal enemy: the Spanish flu, a disease whose terrible impact has earned it the soubriquet ‘The Beast’. Using herbs from the mountain forests of Aragon, Mariela is caught in an epic strug- gle to defeat the successive waves of the flu epidemic that has engulfed the world, carrying millions of victims before it. And she also encounters love in the form of Yakov Sverdlov, one of the leaders of the Russian Revolution and Lenin’s right-hand man. When The Beast tries to wrest her lover from her, Mariela finds herself in a duel to the death in which the apparent winner will eventually be defeated. This epic story is narrated by Mariela’s great-granddaughter, Beatriz Gil Bona, a historian who knows that, if she is to truly discover herself, she must also find out about the women who went before her, in the knowledge that her great-grandmo- ther’s journey represents half of humanity, and that the story of Mariela is also the story of those terrible days that transformed the world.

4th EDITION

PUBLICATION DATE 25 APRIL 2019

9 HIGHLIGHT

LA SOSPECHA DE SOFÍA (Planeta) (Sofia’s suspicion) UP-MARKET WOMEN’S FICTION Paloma Sánchez-Garnica HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The mundane lives of Daniel and his wife Sofía chan- ge radically when Daniel receives an anonymous letter

©Asís Ayerbe informing him that Sagrario is not his real mother, and telling him that he must fly to Paris that very night if he wants to know the truth about his origins. Some questions have to be answered. But family secrets can be the most terrifying of all. And the discovery of an unknown twin brother, one Paloma Sánchez-Garnica who has decided to steal Daniel’s identity and supplant (Madrid, 1962) is a History and Law him in his marriage, inevitably unleashes a succession of graduate. She is the author of El gran terrible events… and unexpected encounters. For so- Arcano (The great Mystery) (2006), meone trapped in East Berlin, is anything fair game in the La Brisa de Oriente (The Eastern search for freedom? Will Sofía realize what’s going on? Or Breeze) (2009), and her novel El Alma perhaps she has her own reasons for accepting the new de las Piedras (The soul of the stones) (2010) was a big hit with readers with situation? five editions being published. La So- nata del silencio (Sonata of silence) The novel is written in the style we have come to expect from Paloma Sánchez-Gar- (2014) established her among critics nica: an immersive realism that paints a detailed picture of family life, and has enchan- and readers as a writer of great lite- ted thousands of readers. This time, the plot incorporates elements of intrigue and rary character. investigation, set against a shifting backdrop of Paris on the brink of revolution in May It was made into a seven episode TV ‘68, the gloomy streets of East Berlin, and Madrid during the final years of Francoism. series, broadcast on prime time on Spanish national Television. Both this novel and her next one, Mi Recuerdo es más fuerte que tu olvido (Memory Two brothers and a woman struggle with the legacy of family secrets while the and one, 2016), have enjoyed consi- whole of Europe is in crisis, in a novel that is packed with thrilling moments and brea- derable success in several countries, th-taking surprises. such as USA, Brazil, Italy and Portu- gal. La sospecha de Sofia (Sofia’s sus- picion) (2019) is her latest release.

RIGHTS SOLD 11th EDITION MORE THAN 50.000 COPIES Italy (SPERLING & KUPFER) SOLD IN SPAIN ALONE

AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS Acquired by Frade Producciones

PUBLICATION DATE 26 FEBRUARY 2019

10 LAS INCORRECTAS (Espasa) (Rude women) Paloma Bravo FEMINIST/CONTEMPORARY/HUMOUR

Although Eva, Cristina, Candela and Inma have nothing in common (not their marital status, or their career, or their attitude to life), they meet at the club

©JEOSM where their sons play football. There, despite being im- mersed in their own life crises, they will discover that friendship is strong enough to overcome any challen- ge. Lively, caring, crazy, rebellious, honest and comba- tive, they support each other as only friends can, hel- Paloma Bravo ping one another with their complicated situations: a Is a journalist and writer, the author of La novia de papá (Dad’s Girlfriend), psychopathic daughter, a furious blogger, a narcissistic pub. Plaza & Janés, 2010, which was sister, a wonderful ex-boyfriend – and another who’s in successfully adapted for the stage; a jail – a film that will change their lives... And a way of collection of short stories Tres muje- tackling problems that sets them apart – with irrepres- res solas (Three Single Women), pub. sible humour and a fighting spirit. RHM Flash, 2012, Los cuentos del koa- la (The Koala Stories), pub. Beascoa, Paloma Bravo brings together a cast of characters 2014, and Solos (Alone), pub. Alfabia, in a plot that combines tenderness and emotion with social criticism and sophisti- 2016. According to her Twitter profile, her friends are her best CV. She lives cated irony. She offers a faithfully deformed portrait of contemporary life, with all its with a dog and a koala, and believes contradictions and, of course, its delights. that poetry, humour and commitment are essential forms of resistance.

3.000 COPIES SOLD

PUBLICATION DATE 4 JUNE 2019

11 HIGHLIGHT TRES MANERAS DE INDUCIR UN COMA (Seix Barral) (Three ways to induce a coma) Alba Carballal UP-MARKET LITERATURE/NEW TALENT

Almodóvar meets John Kennedy Toole ©Alberto Almayer ©Alberto and Eduardo Mendoza.

Contemporary underground Madrid provides the setting for Alba Carballal’s first novel, which draws on the influen- ces of Pedro Almodóvar, John Kennedy Toole and Eduardo Mendoza to present a burlesque farce with touches of black comedy. When Federico receives a mysterious phone call Alba Carballal at the local swimming pool from someone offering him an was born in Lugo (Spain) in 1992. She unusual job, our middle-aged protagonist unwittingly finds holds a degree in Architecture from himself at the centre of a detective story. With no prospects the Polytechnic University of Madrid and studied Law at UNED. She has to speak of and forced by circumstances to become a paid worked as an editor for the journal snoop, he soon becomes embroiled in a murky plot in which Arquitectura Viva, writes for some nothing is quite what it seems. of Spain’s leading cultural platforms, including the literary website Zenda, and has translated books and articles for publishers and news outlets. In 2016 she was awarded an Antonio Gala Foundation grant for Young Creative Artists in Cordoba. This fun- ded a residency to work on her debut “Alba Carballal’s writing casts an acerbic critical gaze on our predicament, drawing novel, Tres maneras de inducir un on sources as diverse as modern thrillers and the picaresque fiction of Spain’s Golden coma. Age to create a brilliant piece of literature with echoes of the originality, the fluency and the iconoclastic spirit of Eduardo Mendoza at his parodic best.” Antonio Muñoz Molina

“It’s exciting to discover a voice as coherent as that of Alba Carballal, a writer who ventures into the dangerous territory of humour, carrying all the right equipment and armed to the teeth.” Eduardo Mendoza

“How can a debut novel be so good, so funny, so profound, so enjoyable, so mature and so well written? This is one of those novels that stays with you long after you have finished it. Do yourself a favour and read it.” Darío Adanti, Revista Mongolia

“Wow! What a great weekend I’ve spent with this novel! Eduardo Mendoza’s literary daughter has enough talent and sheer nerve to fill 40 barrels, and even that might be an understatement. Congratulations to the author for these 280 pages, dripping with the very best kind of poison.” Fernando Aramburu

PUBLICACTION DATE 5 FEBRUARY 2019

12 HINDENBURG (Seix Barral) Cristina Cerrada UP-MARKET LITERATURE

In an eastern European city that has been devasted by war and reduced to a moral wasteland, Razha works as a cleaning wo- ©Laura Muñoz man in a pharmaceuticals factor to support her daughter and her ageing mother. Razha has long since ceased to feel fear. Haras- sed by a violent man, and distraught by the recent disappearance of her daughter, she will survive using whatever means are at her disposal.

The poetry of violence combines with the classic devices of Cristina Cerrada the thriller to create a novel full of suspense, which portrays Eu- Born in Madrid, Spain. Doctor in rope’s moral collapse. Literary Studies from the Complu- tense University of Madrid (UCM), In this novel, Cristina Cerrada offers a strong, incisive narrati- she has a degree in Literary Theory ve, populated by characters drawn with precision and brought to and Comparative Literature also life through utterly convincing dialogue, delivered by an author from the Complutense University of who is fully in command both of what is said and what is concea- Madrid, and in Sociology from the led between her words. The strength of Hindenburg lies in its National University of Distance Edu- careful exposition of violence, the portrayal of the commercializa- cation (UNED). She is coordinator of tion of war, and the subtle examination of a traumatic past. various short story and novel writing courses. She has written the novels Calor de hogar S. A. (‘Warmth of home S. A.’)(2005), which received the Ateneo Youth Novel Award of Seville, Alianzas duraderas (‘Lasting alliances’) (2007), La mujer calva (The ABOUT CRISTINA CERRADA´S PREVIOUS NOVELS: bald woman) (2008), which received the Lengua de Trapo Novel Award, “A narrative approach that situates itself between the post-modernity of Don DeLillo Anatomía de Caín (Cain’s Anatomy) and the sexual scientism of Michel Houellebecq, comparisons that, (2010), Cenicienta en Pensilvania in themselves, constitute the highest of praise”. (Snow White in Pennsylvania) (2010), Alberto Olmos, literaturas.com which received the City of Barbastro International Award, and Cosmora- “In the front rank of the current generation of Spanish women writers, ma (2015). Her short stories include a literary generation that is the most talented yet”. Noctámbulos (Night owls) (2003), J. M. Pozuelo Yvancos, ABC Cultural which received the Narrative Award Casa de América, and Compañía “Cristina Cerrada reveals a masterful narrative style and a use of language that makes reference (Company) (2004), which received the to the mechanisms of trauma”. Edurne Portela, La Marea Narrative Award Caja Madrid. Her stories have been included in many “Cristina Cerrada is the author of a fascinating, ground-breaking piece of work, a highly original collections and anthologies and she novelist with a great future ahead of her”. is the author of the comedy El club Diego Arjona, El Cultural Mythic (The Mythic club) (2015). She collaborates in various media and is “One of our best novelists […]. Cerrada has absolute control over the emotional space in her part of the artistic collective ‘Hijos de work, heating up or cooling down her prose in response to the needs of the novel: she knows Mary Shelley’ (‘The Children of Mary how to measure the distance between feelings and how they find expression in the text. […] She Shelley’). goes straight to the reader’s heart”. Seix Barral published her novel, Eu- Recaredo Veredasl, Otro Lunes ropa in 2017. Hindenburg is her latest novel. “A remarkable storyteller”. María José Obiol, Babelia

“Literary cohesion, ethical realism and narrative honesty”. Fernado Royuela

“Intelligent irony, and delightful agile prose”. Pilar Castro, El Cultural

PUBLICATION DATE MAY 7th 2019

13 EL GRANADO DE LESBOS (Galaxia Gutenberg) (The pomegranate tree of Lesbos) María Iglesias NON-FICTION ©Antonio de Lamadrid In autumn 2015, the death of a young Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, shocked Europe into awareness of the re- fugee crisis. A group of firefighters from Seville in sou- thern Spain borrowed a speedboat and took it by lorry, 3,000 miles across Europe to Athens, where they caught a ferry to Lesbos, shipping the speedboat as cargo, with the intention of using it to rescue drowning refugees. But on the night of the 14th of January, three of the fire- María Iglesias fighters were arrested, accused of “people trafficking”, (Seville, 1976) is a writer and journalist. and threatened with ten years in jail for each person She has published the novel Lazos de they had rescued in the Aegean. Just then, a journalist humo (Smoke Rings) and co-autho- from their home city, a mother of three children, about red the documentary Contramarea to turn 40, and one of the many freelancers with more (Against the Tide) and the illustrated book Vaho (Breath). She has written energy than work, received a phone call. A month later, for Spanish newspapers eldiario.es accompanied by a documentary director and a camera- since 2013, and Público, since 2017. person, she embarked on a journey to Lesbos that would change her perspective and During her twenty years as a journa- transform her life. list, she has worked for Agencia EFE, Describing the real experiences of the author, Seville journalist María Igle- Diario de Sevilla, Paramount Comedy sias, El granado de Lesbos takes readers on a journey of discovery, where they will Channel and Canal Sur TV. She has encounter terrible tragedy but will also witness the epic struggle for survival of mi- also contributed to French and Ger- grants and exiles. El granado de Lesbos recounts the challenge of saving lives and man programmes for ARTE. Her work reporting on the humanitarian crisis defending human rights when darkness is advancing, trampling freedom, solidarity on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016 and democracy. was recognized by the Press Asso- ciation of Seville, which awarded her their 25th Communication Prize. She returned to Lesbos in 2018, reporting for the press and for radio station, Cadena SER, both on the trial of the Spanish firefighters accused of traffic- PUBLICATION DATE king human beings, and on the situa- MAY 8th 2019 tion in the refugee camps. This book is the result of her work over the last three years.

14 HIGHLIGHT EL SUEÑO DE LA RAZÓN (Destino) (The dream of reason) Berna González Harbour NOIR/CRIME

Can death be a form of art?

©Daniel Mordzinski A literary tribute to Goya’s black paintings.

...

Commissioner Ruiz returns to Madrid to prepare her de- fence. She has been suspended from the force. The city’s local holiday is in full swing and the banks of the Manzana- res River are thronged with people. But the appearance of a Berna González Harbour series of animal corpses following a fixed pattern is the first Is a crime author, creator of Commis- sign of a problem that will soon leave another lethal mark: sioner Ruiz and one of the “nine new what appears to be the ritual murder of a young art student discoveries” of Spanish crime wri- at one of the dams that controls the flow of the river. And ting, according to Paco Camarasa. it won’t be the only one. The police investigate a range of She was shortlisted for the Dashiell Hammett Prize with Las lágrimas de hypotheses, but events begin to point towards a series of Claire Jones [The Tears of Claire Jo- scenarios that will lead Commissioner Ruiz to the legacy of Goya, connecting a plot nes] (Destino), won the Booksellers that is extremely disturbing – and difficult to unravel. Can death imitate art? Can mad- of Cantabria Award, and has been a ness become a form of creativity? Which is more important: life, transcendence or member of numerous literary juries. freedom? Without her team, her uniform, her pistol, María Ruiz is forced to confront She is also a journalist, political a highly intelligent adversary, one who is driven by obsession and will stop at nothing analyst and cultural commentator. to manipulate those around him. A chilling journey through a territory where mental She is an assistant director of Spain’s disorder becomes obsession, to a point where death is considered a form of art. leading daily, El País, where she has edited the literary supplement Babelia and been a special envoy to a number of conflict zones. She directs the programme ¿Qué estás leyendo? [What are you reading?], “What a touch of genius to make Goya the protagonist of a thriller set in the 21st cen- contributes to the cultural magazine tury! The reader of this novel is in for an absolute treat.” Zenda, and is a regular participant Luisgé Martín in the talk show Hora __ on Cadena Ser radio. “Commissioner Ruiz is a brilliant police procedural, narrated with rhythm and pace, packed with action, and full of characters who are all too believable.” Paco Camarasa

“A first-rate novel, full of suspense, bang up to date, offering an inside view of Spain, with Francisco de Goya in the background, and excellent writing on every page.” PUBLICATION DATE Manuel Vilas 5 MARCH 2019 “Berna G. Harbour’s Madrid is a city of timeless spaces inhabited by modern-day phantoms of the opera. A novel that provides both pleasure and food for thought.” 2nd EDITION Marta Sanz “You won’t be able to put this book down, even after you’ve read the final page. Berna González Harbour entraps us with her prose and her stories, mercilessly depriving her readers of sleep until they have reached the end. Her writing is magic, it’s literature, it’s noir.” Claudia Piñeiro

“In book after book, Berna González Harbour has gradually mapped out a territory all of her own, a territory of light, of fear and of long walks in the dark” Carlos Zanón

“Berna González Harbour has drawn on her experience as a journalist, transforming her detailed knowledge of the police into fiction and literature.” Lorenzo silva

“Commissioner Ruiz is an engaging character who has earned herself a permanent place in Spanish literature.” Fernando Marías 15 LA SONRISA DE LOS PÁJAROS (Destino) (The smile of the birds) Lea Vélez INTIMATE THRILLER

Alma, a 34-year-old journalist and writer, returns to Pa- raíso 20 years after a tragic accident changed the course

©Victoria Iglesias ©Victoria of her life. The loss of her family coincided with “the case of the black kite”, the terrible murder of a mother and her two children in the beautiful woods of the mountainous Paraíso region. For years, the media and the country as a whole were obsessed with the affair, and the courts finally sentenced somebody for the crime: a man who, despite the beliefs of all those closest to events, could well be innocent. Driven by a strange parallel with her own childhood tragedy, Lea Vélez Alma decides to investigate what happened. She is seeking (Madrid, 1970) is one of the new voi- ces of contemporary Spanish fiction, answers about the world, about herself, about what makes and has been widely praised by cri- us human, and what makes us happy. The search for truth tics and readers alike. She is the au- brings Alma into contact with Javier, a biology teacher with thor of the novels La cirujana de Pal- whom she was once in love. He will teach her the language ma [The Surgeon of Palma] (2014), El of the birds, a passion for nature, the essence of a life of jardín de la memoria [The Garden of freedom. While she is preparing a book about the case, Alma reflects on reality and Memory] (2014), a moving testimony fiction, innocence and guilt, memory and invention, discovering the truth about her of love inspired by her own life, and past and something that she never hoped to find: the true meaning of love. Nuestra casa en el árbol [Our Tree- house] (2017, Destino), in which she drew on her own experience to des- cribe the frustration that is generated by traditional education, and to na- rrate the delights of a childhood cha- racterized by freedom. She is also the author of La olivetti, la espía y el loro [The Olivetti, the Spy and the Parrot] PUBLICATION DATE (2017), a work of narrative non-fiction, 19 FEBRUARY 2019 which received glowing reviews. With La sonrisa de los pájaros she brings her perceptive, sensitive gaze to bear upon the territory of personal intrigue.

16 EL LIBRO DE LOS ADIOSES (Espasa) (The book of goodbyes) Ramón Pernas NOVEL

Leonardo del Río is a famous writer. Increasingly melancholic as he approaches the end of his life, he is

©Asís G. Ayerbe commissioned by Larranz – the friend who has published all del Río’s previous work – to write a novel, the book which may very well be his last. However, when he sits down and confronts the blank page, he is gripped by a sense of vertigo, one that goes beyond his normal inde- cision, as he faces up to the challenge of a memory full of light and shadow, and hidden pages. His only human Ramón Pernas contact is with Amanda, who is supposed to be writing The author on himself his biography but who in reality helps him with his daily I was born on the shore of the nor- routines, and with Ricardo, a journalist in his 60s, who thern sea known here as the Canta- is fascinated by Leonardo’s “old master” aura, and vi- brian Sea, in Viveiro on the coast of Lugo. As a reporter I dedicate my- sits him without fail every Thursday. Leonardo’s head is self to the world of the book and to filled with memories and images: moments with treasu- cultural management. With a dozen red friends from the literary world, such as Cunqueiro, Borges, Cortázar and Benet; published titles and various literary letters secreted in lacquered bottles, that he tossed into the sea to communicate with awards (Ateneo de Sevilla, Letras de Hemingway; the elusive childhood memory of one Maundy Thursday; the image of Bretaña, Emilio Alarcos Llorach, Azo- a woman reading his novel in a metro carriage, who now wanders the platforms like rín, and finalist for Spain’s National a ghost; and, above all, a crazy love affair in Paris, an affair that swept him off his feet Award for Literature for Paso a dos), I only to leave him devastated, an affair that Amanda and Ricardo are determined to also received the Puro de Cora award for journalism and the national Julio bring to light. Camba award. In the style of some of the most acclaimed contemporary authors, such as Elena Ferrante or Erri de Lucca, it is a novel for a cultured reader who enjoys an apparently Among my novels I would highlight tranquil read which nevertheless will at tug the reader’s heartstrings. Paso a dos (‘Dance for two’), Pabe- llón Azul (‘Blue Pavilion), Brumario, Del viento y la memoria (‘Of wind and memory’), En la luz inmóvil (‘In the sti- ll light’) and Hotel Paradiso (‘Paradise Hotel’). I am author of an anthology of poetry, Poesía incompleta, and the illustrated book Cien años de circo en España (‘A hundred years of circus in Spain’), written with J. M. Armero.

I have participated in a number of co- llective works. I write a weekly column in the newspaper La Voz de Galicia. I enjoy travelling and cities full of nos- talgia. I’m faithful to Italy and I suffer PUBLICATION DATE from Stockholm syndrome when visi- 8 OCTOBER 2019 ting cities in northern Europe. I love good wine, am a melancholic film buff and I firmly believe in the resto- rative powers of books, all books.

17 MANDERLEY EN VENTA (Páginas de espuma) (Manderley for sale) Patricia Esteban Erlés SHORT STORIES/FANTASY/GOTHIC

Patricia Esteban Erlés is the creator of a body of work

©Daniel Mordzinski that is both dark and fascinating, constructed over a pe- riod of years and sustained through several books. Her unique gaze and distinctive style have made her one of the leading voices of fantasy literature in Spanish. The short stories in Manderley en venta y otros cuentos open the door to obsessions with domestic space, the aliena- ting nature of routine, the dark, ghostly, Gothic games of the unusual, the anxiety of normality. This book provi- des an indispensable way into one of the most unusual Patricia Esteban Erlés (Zaragoza, 1972) is a professor and a worlds in today’s literature. Nobody does what she does. columnist on the Heraldo de Aragón. Tell that to the twin sisters or the dolls that end up tra- To date she has published three short pped between her pages. Be careful with this book. The- story collections. The first,Manderley re’s space for all of us in Manderley. en venta (‘Manderley for sale’) (2008), was awarded the Short Story Prize from the University of Zaragoza in 2007 and was selected for the V Sete- nil Prize, as one of the ten best books of short stories published in Spain in 2008. Her second book, Abierto para fantoches (‘Open for puppets’) (2008), won the XXII Award for Fiction “When I read Manderley en venta, I recalled that memorable short story from Santa Isabel of Aragon, Queen of Truman Capote’s Music for Chameleons, ‘A lamp in a window’, because Manderley Portugal. In 2010 she published her en venta is a freezer full of stories that are nothing but the dead cats of every house, third collection of stories, Azul ruso every couple and every family. (‘Russian blue’) (Páginas de Espuma), which was also short-listed for the Patricia Esteban Erlés is – in my view – a great literary revelation”. Setenil Prize. In 2012 she published Fernando Iwasaki Casa de Muñecas (‘Doll’s house’) (Pá- ginas de Espuma), her first collection “Her short stories are among the best I have read by a young writer in recent of micro-stories, illustrated by Sara years: pieces to include in any anthology, genuinely intense, by a great author. She Morante. A number of her stories constructs perfect classic stories, while at the same time surprising the reader with have been included in thematic an- breathtaking, disturbing discoveries. Her readers, the story and literature all come thologies such as Vivo o muerto (‘Ali- out as winners”. ve or dead’) (2008), Perturbaciones (‘Disturbances’) (2009) and 22 esca- Hipólito G. Navarro rabajos (‘22 scarab beetles’) (Páginas de Espuma, 2009), and in anthologies such as Pequeñas Resistencias 5. An- tología del nuevo cuento español (Small resistances 5. Anthology of new Spanish short stories’) (Páginas de Espuma, 2010) and Madrid Negro (‘Black Madrid’) (Siruela, 2016). PUBLICATION DATE In 2017, she won the Dos Passos Pri- 4 SEPTEMBER 2019 ze with her first novel,Las madres ne- gras (Galaxia Gutemberg).

18 NEW TITLES CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

19 HIGHLIGHT

LA VERSIÓN DE ERIC (SM) (Eric’s version) GRAN ANGULAR AWARD 2020 Nando López YA / THRILLER / LGTBI

Age: 14+ ©Lourdes Cabrera Topics: LGTBI, identity, friendship, bravery Text: Nando López Illustrations: Rafael Martín Coronel

...

In this world of images and appearances, Nando López keeping silent or hiding are not an option if we (1977) Is a novelist and playwright, and has a doc- are to defend the inalienable right to be who we torate in Spanish Language and Literature. Critics are and to defend who we want to be. have identified him as “one of the outstanding voices of his generation” (ABC Cultural), he was shortlisted for the Nadal Prize 2010 with La edad La versión de Eric combines the intrigue of de la ira [The Age of Fury] (Booket Planeta), a no- a thriller with the intimate perspective of its na- vel that has become a touchstone for teachers, pa- rrator protagonist. The action unfolds in a police rents and students, with its fearless portrayal of the station, late at night. As Eric waits to talk to the police about the crime that reality of Spain’s school system in the 21st century. has just occurred, he recalls his past and everything that led up to the events that have brought him here: he was nine years old when his father left home, His novels “address many of the big issues facing eleven when the nightmares started, thirteen the first time he was admitted, our society” (Revista Leer), and include titles such as Cuando todo era fácil [When it Was All Easy] fourteen when he met Tania. His friendship with Tania will play a key role in his (Tres Hermanas Ediciones), El sonido de los cuer- life as, together, they set out on a new path that leads them to discover and pos [The Sound of Our Bodies] (Editorial Dos Bi- accept themselves. It is through Tania that he takes up acting classes, Lorca, gotes), Las vidas que inventamos [The Lives We the series, success, followers… but also, on that terrible night, full of secrets, Invent] (Espasa), La inmortalidad del cangrejo [The there will be a corpse on the tarmac and half-truths in abundance. Eric just Immortality of the Crab] (Baile del sol) or Hasta wants his version of the story to be told. nunca Peter Pan [See you never, Peter Pan]. He has also contributed to collections of short stories, including Lo que no se dice [The Things We Don’t Say] and El cielo en movimiento [The Heavens in Movement].

In addition, he has written a number of books that IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS: have been hugely successful with young adult readers, such as El reino de las Tres Lunas [The “The novel is about the complicated process of self-construction (…) about Kingdom of the Three Moons] and the transmedia how another person’s identity isn’t something you can make judgements novel Los nombres del fuego [The Names of Fire], about because identity is something that just is, it’s not something you both published by Loqueleo (Santillana) and with choose. And nobody has the right to question it or query its validity. That multiple editions in both Spain and Mexico. Since idea is very important in the book and, to be honest, throughout my literary 2016 he has edited and written the introductions career and my personal life. I hope this book reaches families and that to the collection Clásicos en el tiempo [Classics through time], designed to encourage young peo- they share it, discuss it, talk about it. And I hope many adolescents dare to ple to read some of the classic works of Spanish talk to their parents frankly (…) Eric doesn’t minimize pain; he treats it with literature. honesty and vitality. He’s a fighter and I hope he’ll be a positive role model for all those who feel they have no voice. (…) I think we sometimes assume As a playwright, he has authored more than twen- that it is only LGTBI readers who will identify with LGTBI characters, and I ty pieces, both in Spain and abroad. These inclu- see that as a mistake. Readers can identify with any character, regardless of de #malditos16 [#cursed16] (co-production with their own identity or orientation, and this is the big challenge we face in our Spain’s National Theatre Centre, and performed at society (…) books and stories can help us to challenge bullying, transpho- Teatro María Guerrero), Las grietas del mar [The Cracks in the Sea] (monologue included in the bia, homophobia, racism, misogyny… in the classroom and in society as a collective production, Home, produced by Teatro whole.” Español), Los amores diversos [Different Loves], Tour de force, Cuando fuimos dos [When There Were Two of Us], De mutuo desacuerdo [By Mu- tual Disagreement](premiered simultaneously in Spain, Panama and Venezuela), and La edad de la ira [The Age of Fury], freely adapted from his own novel of the same name. He has also written PUBLICATION DATE and adapted a number of classics, including Las MAY-JUNE 2020 harpías en Madrid [The Harpies in Madrid], (39th Almagro International Theatre Festival), Yerma (2015), by Lorca (winner of the Helen Hayes Prize 2015 for Best Theatre Show) and Don Juan Tenorio (2017), by José Zorrilla, both premiered at the Gala Theatre, Washington. 20 BEST- SELLER LOS FUTBOLÍSIMOS (SM) (The Footballest) Roberto Santiago CHILDREN LITERATURE

3.000k COPIES SOLD IN SPAIN ALONE Number 1 in the Spanish Top Ten young adult best-sellers

“EL MISTERIO The Footballest is a collection for 8+ readers, where the DEL ÚLTIMO HOMBRE LOBO” main characters have to solve puzzling mysteries together, (The mystery of the last werewolf) as well as playing football.

rd Values: Sports / Friendship / Family Relationships / Social inte- 3 gration / Solidarity / Loyalty Edition

Author: Roberto Santiago Illustrator: Enrique Lorenzo Size: 15 x 21 cms Binding: Softcover with flaps Reading age: 8+

Team 7 from Soto Alto is the school football team and is composed of: Number 1 Camuñas, the goalie (also known as Big Ears), number 2 Angustias, right wing (always complaining), number 3 Marylin, left wing (really fast!), number 4 Tomeo, cen- tre-back (he’s terrible,but what can you do?), number 5 Toni, cen- tre midfield (a great player), number 6 Helena (she’s scored loads of goals in the league) and number 7 Pakete, centre forward (he’s really called Francisco, or Paco, or even Paquito.But things have The Futbolísimos are in Basarri, a small village in been going so badly for him recently that everyone calls him the Basque Country, famous for its cheeses and its... Pakete, that is, “Moron”). Pakete is the main character and be- werewolves. longs to a team that calls itself the “Footballest”. How did they Doing away with the last werewolf is in their hands. They just need to win the Full Moon Trophy get the name? Because something happened in Soto Alto that and discover the mystery that surrounds this ancient had never happened before, and which they don’t believe will legend. It should be a piece of cake. ever happen again...

PUBLICATION DATE 4 APRIL 2019

21 LOS FUTBOLÍSIMOS (SM) (The Footballest) Roberto Santiago CHILDREN LITERATURE

RIGHTS SOLD REPRINTS IN SPANISH France (Hachette) Italy (Salani) Argentina: Ediciones SM Poland (Adamantan) (distribution Argentina + Uruguay) Portugal (Carácter) Chile: Ediciones SM Brazil (Ediçoes SM) Mexico: Ediciones SM Slovenia (Malinc) (distribution México + América Central) Turkey (Epsilon) Dominican Republic: Ediciones SM Czech Republic (Host) Iran (Hoopa) Alger (EL -IKHTILEF) Netherlands (Uitgeverij De Fontein) Greece (Patakis)

AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS

The movie based on the first title in the Los Futbolísimos series was re- leased in summer 2018, achieving total audience figures of 3.5 million. Since October 2018, Los Futbolísimos: El musical has a very successful run at Teatro La Latina, Madrid.

TRAILER

22 LOS FORASTEROS DEL TIEMPO (SM) (The Strangers of time) Roberto Santiago CHILDREN LITERATURE

500.000 COPIES SOLD IN SPAIN ALONE

Author: Roberto Santiago LA AVENTURA DE LOS BALBUENA Illustrator: Enrique Lorenzo EN LA GRAN PIRÁMIDE Format: 15 x 21 cms nd (The Balbuenas at the Binding: Perfect paperback 2 Great Pyramid) Age: 8+ Edition The place is Ancient Egypt, the A collection featuring the Balbuena family, year is 2170 BC. who live in Moratalaz and have all the time in Ka the Eternal, the country’s the world to travel through a black hole which 11-year-old Pharaoh, rules his people appears right there. Their adventures begin as at his whim. most things begin: just another ordinary day. But the Egyptians are tired of war, slavery and sacrifices, and a plot, led by the Army of the Night, is being hat- ched… In the midst of this scenario, at the worst possible moment, the Bal- buenas and their neighbours appear. Will our heroes survive the Pharaoh’s schemes? Will they become friends? RIGHTS SOLD Will they finally succeed in returning Italy (Salani) to Moratalaz? Poland (Adamantan) Iran (Hooupa)

PUBLICATION DATE APRIL 7th 2019

23 EN LAS REDES DEL MIEDO (SM) (The networks of fear) YOUNG ADULT THRILLER WITH SOCIAL THEME Nando López 21st CENTURY TEENAGERS

Nothing is stronger than fear. And nothing ©Lourdes Cabrera poses a bigger challenge to our willpower than social media. A high school goes up flames. A boy disappears. And the truth hides behind a Twitter profile. The countdown has begun.

A few days before the end of the school year, a fire breaks out at Valdés High School, Nando López where Laia and Joel are students. They have (1977) Is a novelist and playwright, and has a doc- torate in Spanish Language and Literature. Critics become the closest of friends through social have identified him as “one of the outstanding voi- media, where they share more pain – and more ces of his generation” (ABC Cultural), he was short- secrets – than any of their classmates could listed for the Nadal Prize 2010 with La edad de la even begin to imagine. But everything changes ira [The Age of Fury] (Booket Planeta), a novel that when Laia, disturbed by Joel’s silence, decides has become a touchstone for teachers, parents and to go in search of him. Could he be one of the students, with its fearless portrayal of the reality of victims who, if the Twitter rumours are to be believed, was found in the fire? Spain’s school system in the 21st century. Nothing will be the same after that morning: a morning that threatens to His novels “address many of the big issues facing bring Laia’s past to light, a morning when both Laia and Joel will have to our society” (Revista Leer), and include titles such face up to who they really are – on social media and in real life. as Cuando todo era fácil [When it Was All Easy] (Tres Hermanas Ediciones), El sonido de los cuer- How can one reconcile one’s true self with the identity one displays on pos [The Sound of Our Bodies] (Editorial Dos Bi- social media? gotes), Las vidas que inventamos [The Lives We Do these new forms of communication bring us closer together or push Invent] (Espasa) and La inmortalidad del cangrejo us further apart? [The Immortality of the Crab] (Baile del sol). He has Do we control our image on social media – or does social media end also contributed to collections of short stories, in- cluding Lo que no se dice [The Things We Don’t up controlling us? Say] and El cielo en movimiento [The Heavens in Movement]. Taking this identity conflict as its central topic, the novel explores a who- le range of issues that affect the world of teenagers – including the some- In addition, he has written a number of books that times violent ways in which they relate to their own bodies. And it delves have been hugely successful with young adult rea- into some of the behaviours and communication practices of today’s young ders, such as El reino de las Tres Lunas [The King- adults, like ThisCrush, a platform that encourages young people to send dom of the Three Moons] and the transmedia novel anonymous messages to people they find attractive, or dangerous trends Los nombres del fuego [The Names of Fire], both published by Loqueleo (Santillana) and with multi- such as Circus 2.0, where teenagers use social media to arrange fights. ple editions in both Spain and Mexico. Since 2016 he has edited and written the introductions to the collection Clásicos en el tiempo [Classics through time], designed to encourage young people to read some of the classic works of Spanish literature.

As a playwright, he has authored more than twen- ty pieces, both in Spain and abroad. These inclu- AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS de #malditos16 [#cursed16] (co-production with Spain’s National Theatre Centre, and performed Optioned to at Teatro María Guerrero), Las grietas del mar [The for TV series Cracks in the Sea] (monologue included in the co- MOD PRODUCCIONES llective production, Home, produced by Teatro Es- pañol), Los amores diversos [Different Loves], Tour de force, Cuando fuimos dos [When There Were Two of Us], De mutuo desacuerdo [By Mutual Di- sagreement](premiered simultaneously in Spain, Panama and Venezuela), and La edad de la ira [The Age of Fury], freely adapted from his own novel of the same name. He has also written and adapted a PUBLICATION DATE number of classics, including Las harpías en Madrid 7 MARCH 2019 [The Harpies in Madrid], (39th Almagro Internatio- nal Theatre Festival), Yerma (2015), by Lorca (win- ner of the Helen Hayes Prize 2015 for Best Theatre Show) and Don Juan Tenorio (2017), by José Zorri- lla, both premiered at the Gala Theatre, Washin- gton. 24 KOLIA (Planeta) Leandro Pérez YOUNG ADULT

I’m 14 years old. And I’m six foot seven. My destiny: the NBA. And when I say I want to play in the NBA, with

©JEOSM the best in the world, I’m not day-dreaming.

“Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world”. STRANGER THINGS Leandro Pérez Is the father of two boys, and is a ... writer and journalist from Burgos, in northern Spain. His previous novels are the thrillers Las Cuatro Torres (The Four Towers) 2014, and La sirena de Kolia is fourteen years old, he’s six foot seven, he Gibraltar (The Mermaid of Gibraltar) dreams about playing in the NBA, and he loves basket- 2017, both of which feature Juan Tor- ball almost as much as he loves Vega, who possesses ca and are also published by Planeta. the most delightful smile in the universe. He coordinates the Spanish literary “Playing basketball is easy. You run, you dodge, you throw, you pass, you rebound, website, Zenda, and is a partner in di- you defend, you attack. You follow your coach’s orders. You do what you’ve trained to gital marketing firm, Trestristestigres. do, time and time again. And you improvise, you never stop improvising – keeping up As Kolia, the protagonist of his third novel, would say, he loves basketba- with your teammates and keeping away from your opponents. And you win. Or you ll more than almost anything in the lose. And then the game’s over and know if you’ve played well or badly, where you’ve whole world. “Between the ages of played to your strengths and where you’ve been let down by your weaknesses. And fourteen and seventeen, I ate, slept everything can be measured: shots, assists, turnovers, blocks, missed passes, steals, and breathed basketball. I never all of that and a whole lot more. But there are no statistics that measure love.” dreamed of playing in the NBA, and A novel about success, about dreams, about nightmares, about conquest... and I’m not six foot seven, but I’ll never about bas-ketball. forget those years.”

PRAISE FOR LAS CUATRO TORRES (PLANETA, 2014)

“A dark novel, set in the world of professional football, brimming with emotion... And ex-tremely well written”. Arturo Pérez-Reverte

“Some books should never be allowed to end. The best surprise of the year”. Juan Carlos Laviana, El Mundo

PRAISE FOR LA SIRENA DE GIBRALTAR (PLANETA, 2017)

“Death is an Andalusian mermaid, whose tail is encased in concrete.” Few writers could start like this and keep up the pace for almost 300 pages. But Leandro Pérez manages to do just that”. Karina Sainz Borgo

“Leandro Pérez has a trump card that any narrator would envy: Torca, a lone hero, who you will want to keep at your side from the very first page”. Lorenzo Silva

PUBLICATION DATE 7 MAY 2019

25 EL OJO DEL INCA (Edelvives) (The eye of the Inca) Natalia Alonso YOUNG ADULT/ 12-14 YEARS OLD

The Castell brothers travel to Bolivia with their fa- ther, Germán, a well-known anthropologist eager to find out about the Guaracachi culture. But their holidays are cut short when Germán is kidnapped and the boys try to rescue him with the help of a local shaman.

In this exciting adventure, set amid the closely-guar- ded secrets of the beautiful landscapes of Bolivia, the Natalia Alonso participants learn the secrets of an ancient culture. loves literature, travel, the cinema and visual images, and she studied Information Sciences at the Complu- tense University of Madrid.

Although she initially worked in movie production and direction, she subse- quently opted for a career in marke- ting and communication for major companies producing products for children and young people.

One day, she realized she needed a radical change of career, and took PUBLICATION DATE a fourteen-month trip around the 8 APRIL 2019 world. This experience changed the way she looked at life, and led to her decision to dedicate a portion of her time to writing. Some of her experien- ces on that trip provided her with ins- piration for this novel, and when she returned to Spain, she established Billar de Letras, a school of writing, literary translation and illustration.

26 GENERAL CATALOGUE

27 BEST- SELLER

NIEBLA EN TÁNGER (Planeta) (Fog in Tangier) PLANETA FINALIST AWARD 2017 Cristina López Barrio WOMEN´S FICTION

On 24 December 1951, Paul Dingle disappeared in ©Arduino Vannucchii the port of Tangier without a trace. Seventy-four years later, Flora Gascón suspects he is the same man with whom she had an adventure in Madrid and fell in love with. They are linked by a novel Paul had on his bedside table, Fog in Tangier. Flora travels to this magical city full of secrets in search of the book’s author, the only person who can tell her who her lover really is, and whe- re to find him. Soon she realises it is she who must write the end of the story, as on this expedition her own iden- Cristina López Barrio tity is also in question. Flora’s journey will take her to the Cristina López Barrio was born in Ma- depths of her heart. drid and worked as a lawyer for thir- teen years, specializing in Intellectual Property. After being awarded the Vi- Fog in Tangier is a novel of love, mystery and emo- lla Pozuelo de Alarcón Prize for chil- tion staring strong female characters. It tells an extraor- dren’s literature with El Hombre Que dinary circular tale in which reality and fiction are interwoven. Past and present, reality Se Mareaba Con La Rotación De La and fantasy, mix and fuse in an intricate tangle that the protagonist will progressively Tierra (‘The Man Who Became Dizzy unravel like an expert detective. With The Earth’s Rotation’), in 2009, Fog in Tangier is a magnificent reflection on literary creation as a transforming and the publication of the novel La force. Literature as a motor. Casa De Los Amores Imposibles (The House of Impossible Loves), in 2010, she abandoned the legal profession to dedicate herself to writing fulltime. In 2010 she received the best newco- mer award from the well-known lite- rary blog Llegir en cas d’incendi for La Casa De Los Amores Imposibles (The House of Impossible Loves). RIGHTS SOLD 9th EDITION This novel has been translated into Netherlands (Wereldbibliotheek) MORE THAN 75.000 fifteen languages and published in Italy (DeA Planeta Libri) twenty-two countries, including the Poland (Czarna Owca) COPIES SOLD United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Sweden, Israel and Mexi- co. She has also published the co- llection of short stories El Reloj Del Mundo (‘The Clock of the World’) (2012), and the novels El Cielo en un Infierno Cabe (‘Heaven Fits in Hell’) (2013) and Tierra de Brumas (‘Land of Mists’) (2015). PUBLICATION DATE NOVEMBER 3rd 2017

28 HIGHLIGHT LAS GAFAS NEGRAS DE AMPARITO CONEJO (La Huerta Grande) (Amparito Conejo´s dark glasses) ILLUSTRATED NOVEL Guillermo Roz BLACK NOVEL FOR ADULTS

Writer: Guillermo Roz Illustrator: Oscar Grillo ©Edu León The school headmaster, Pereyra Iraola, has died un- der strange circumstances. Amparito Conejo, his secretary, who is madly in love with the deceased and convinced that the crime has Guillermo Roz been committed by someone at school, swears to find Guillermo was born in Buenos Aires the murderer. She sets out in her copy books the pos- in 1973, he is Literature Professor at sible motives each suspect might have for killing the the UNLP, in Argentina. headmaster. In 2013 he was awarded in France Kurchiski, the su- the prestigious Ville Marguerite Your- cenar Scholarship, and his book Les per-intelligent pupil who ruego que me odien (Musa a las 9), hates being a child; the for which he is awarded the 1st Prize caretaker, a former star to Narrative Francisco Ayala. of Uruguayan football; In 2012 Alianza Editorial published Marta, the illegal book- his novel Tendríamos que haber ve- maker and gangster; nido solos, for which he is selected Goyeneche, the school counsellor with a wooden as New Talent Fnac. In 2009 he pu- leg, great tango singer... all of them linked to Pereyra blished Avestruces por la noche. Two novels (Mirada Malva) and his short Iraola by a dark, unresolved past story that arouses story Los Grises in the anthology of the criminal imagination. All of them are introduced Argentinean, Spanish and Mexican with humour and acidity by stories that make each authors entitled Un nudo en la gar- chapter a narrative. Every reader will choose his/her ganta. Quince cuentos canallas (Tra- favourite candidate for the crime and will have to ma). En 2007, he published his novel reach the surprising end in order to make sense of La vida me engañó. the whole. He has contributed in articles of cul- tural journalism and edited works ... of fiction for various publications in the USA, Latinamerica and Europe (amongst which the Instituto Cervan- Oscar Grillo was born in Buenos Aires in 1943 tes and the newspaper El País deser- and started his professional career as an artist ve a mention). when he was sixteen.

He lives in Madrid since 2002. ©Patricia Grillo He worked as an animator and collaborated with magazines as well as illustrating children and poetry books. In 1969 he emigrates to Europe and starts working in Spain and Italy. In 1971, he settles down in England where his career as an animator blossoms. After a few years, he founds, together with Ted Rockley, Klacto Animations. Paul and Linda MacCartney commission five animated shorts, one of which, Seaside Woman, was awarded the Palm d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. In the meanwhile, he continues illustrating books, such as Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver Travels, Giovanni Verga’s I Malavoglia and Estanislao del Campo’s Fausto, for publishing houses around the world. He also illustrates jazz articles by Whitney Valliet for The New Yorker magazine. In 2001, he collaborates in character design for Pixar Animation Studios’ multiple award-winning film Monsters Inc.. In 2013, at the Annie Awards, he is presented with the Winsor McCay accolade for his contribution to animation. The graphic novel attractes his attention and he illustrates The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Le Poet Assassiné by Guillaume Apollinaire and Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, among others. He recently co-illustrated The Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. PUBLICATION DATE He is about to publish Pick-up Bands, a book of portraits of famous jazz musi- MAY 23rd 2018 cians.

29 EUROPA (Seix Barral) (Europe) UP-MARKET LITERATURE Cristina Cerrada A REFUGEE´S INTIMATE PERSPECTIVE

“I believe Europe will help to situate Cristina Cerrada at he forefront of a generation of young spanish writers; ©Laura Muñoz one of the richest literary genrations we have had”

J.M. Pozuelo Yvancos, ABC Cultural

Heda is a girl who arrives in Western Europe with her family, fleeing war in her country. She spends her time between her home, a modest house her parents have struggled to build, Cristina Cerrada and the factory where her brother works alongside other re- Born in Madrid, Spain. Doctor in fugees. Driven by the shadow of a crime, Heda observes life’s Literary Studies from the Complu- relentless advance, while her loved ones adapt to this new start. tense University of Madrid (UCM), As we get to know her story there will come to the fore the invi- she has a degree in Literary Theory sible wound the past had left behind. and Comparative Literature also EUROPA is a concise book characterized by the singular from the Complutense University of voice of its author and a topic especially relevant today: what it Madrid, and in Sociology from the means from an intimate perspective to be a refugee in Europe National University of Distance Edu- in the current climate. cation (UNED). She is coordinator of A profound novel that speaks of being uprooted, and all we various short story and novel writing keep silent about in order to keep going. When the certainties that once shaped our future have courses. She has written the novels gone, there is nothing left to return to our identity. Calor de hogar S. A. (‘Warmth of With a notable narrative energy Cristina Cerrada has created an unconventional character – home S. A.’)(2005), which received a clear and precise voice that unflinchingly faces the pain with a serene detachment. Beauty and the Ateneo Youth Novel Award of restraint throughout the novel make Europa the piercing cry of one who is drowning and who Seville, Alianzas duraderas (‘Lasting survives in spite of everything. alliances’) (2007), La mujer calva (The bald woman) (2008), which received the Lengua de Trapo Novel Award, Anatomía de Caín (Cain’s Anatomy) “Cristina Cerrada is the author of an evocative and ground-breaking work.” (2010), Cenicienta en Pensilvania (Snow White in Pennsylvania) (2010), EL CULTURAL (supplement of the EL MUNDO newspaper) which received the City of Barbastro International Award, and Cosmora- “The narrative voice is truthful, free from artifice and drama […]. Cristina Cerrada masterfully por- ma (2015). Her short stories include trays the effects of trauma on the human psyche […]. Europa is an apparently simple story, but Noctámbulos (Night owls) (2003), beneath the spare language and descriptions - the narrative restraint of a storyline reduced to which received the Narrative Award brief scenes and succinctly drawn characters - lies a rich and complex novel.” Casa de América, and Compañía Edurne Portela, La Marea (Company) (2004), which received the Narrative Award Caja Madrid. Her “An intense novel; of restrained emotion and masterfully written.” Expansión stories have been included in many collections and anthologies and she “Cristina Cerrada weaves an exacting and moving story of helplessness, as warm as it is dramatic. is the author of the comedy El club Europa has a great emotional intensity.” Santos Sanz Villanueva, El Cultural Mythic (The Mythic club) (2015). She collaborates in various media and is “An intense book, both raw and poetic.” José Ovejero, Zenda part of the artistic collective ‘Hijos de Mary Shelley’ (‘The Children of Mary “Europa is a short novel written in snippets, with the superb character of Heda, a young refugee, Shelley’). who carries the story. […] With skill and talent Cerrada handles the storyline and the various con- flicts, most of which are well resolved.” Carlos Zanón. Babelia. EL PAÍS

“Brief, intense, life and violation, three moments in the refugee reality with which one can tell many stories of those disinherited of happiness by war. These are stories, bitter and beautiful, with which Cristina Cerrada mends, tells of, and restores Europa, the wounds of its body and soul, a panorama which can again be repeated.” Guillermo Busutil, Mercurio

“Without moralising or sentimentality, with a prose as sparing as it is forceful in the construction of its phrases, Cristina Cerrada is skilled in pithiness. There is no lack or excess in Europa, no excess because Cerrada seems to be conscious of the banality into which words can descend.” Anna Maria Iglesia. Blog Libros, nocturnidad y alevosía

“Cerrada makes us feel with our own bodies how exile tears lives apart, how it snatches away a part of us leaving it behind forever.” Eduardo Almiñana, Alicanteplaza

PUBLICATION DATE “A writer I am delighted to have discovered. […] Cristina Cerrada has created a character for 11th APRIL 2017 whom the reader feels an empathy from the first moment.”Ysabel M, Blog Anika entre libros

30 BEST- SELLING LA QUÍMICA DEL ODIO (Espasa) AUTHOR (The chemistry of hatred) Carme Chaparro THRILLER © Jotxo Cáceres / Groupon

The second novel by the best-selling author of “NO SOY UN MONSTRUO” [I am not a Monster] (More than 75.000 copies sold)

...

What would you do if you survived the toughest Carme Chaparro (Barcelona, 1973) is a journalist with test of your life, only to find that fate was pushing a broad and consolidated career as you to the limit once again? a presenter and editor in television news. For twenty years she has been There is no rest for Chief Inspector Ana Arén. in charge of the main news editions After solving the case that almost destroyed her, of the Mediaset group, on Telecin- she faces another fiendishly difficult challenge: the co News and News on Cuatro; pro- murder of one of the most famous women in Spain. grammes for which she has covered the most important national and international events of the past two Constantly questioned by her superior, leading a decades. team whose trust she is yet to win, and with a media spotlight shining on the inves- tigation, Ana is once again confronted by an apparently unsolvable crime in which Carme Chaparro is a lifelong cam- both time and the past appear to be conspiring against her. paigner for the rights, freedom and equality of women. In 2018 she was Following the success of No soy un monstruo [I am not a Monster] (Primavera Fic- awarded the PSOE Feminism Prize, tion Prize 2017), translated into several languages and with a screen version planned and her work has been recognized by the Spanish legal system’s Domestic by Mediaset, Carme Chaparro returns with her second novel, La Química del odio and Gender Violence Observatory. [The Chemistry of Hatred], which consolidates her reputation as one of the most interesting and daring writers of thrillers in Spanish today. Her passion for reading has turned into a passion for writing. Carme has combined her work in television with collaborations as a columnist for the magazines Yo Dona – where she has a weekly column –, GQ and Mujer Hoy. Currently she also writes her RIGHTS SOLD own blog in Yahoo. I’m Not a Mons- 3rd EDITION ter is her first novel. Italy (Sem Edizioni) 40k COPIE SOLD IN SPAIN ALONE

PUBLICATION DATE 24 MAY 2018

31 BEST- SELLER NO SOY UN MONSTRUO (Espasa) (I´m not a Monster) PRIMAVERA DE NOVELA AWARD 2017 Carme Chaparro THRILLER © Jotxo Cáceres / Groupon

Where is the limit between news and media hijacking? How far are journalists willing to get for the sake of their personal visibility, for the sake of “having something to say” thus existing in the eye of society?

..... Carme Chaparro (Barcelona, 1973) is a journalist with a broad and consolidated career as If there is something worse than a nightmare it is a a presenter and editor in television recurring nightmare. And in our worst nightmares few news. For twenty years she has been produce as much distress as a child disappearing wi- in charge of the main news editions thout trace. This is exactly what happens at the outset of the Mediaset group, on Telecinco of this novel: in a mall, in the hustle and bustle of an News and News on Cuatro; program- afternoon out shopping, a predator stealthily chooses mes for which she has covered the most important national and inter- the victim he is about to snatch. These few lines, these moments waiting, will be the national events of the past two deca- last moments of peace for the characters of a story for which the usual descriptions, des. Her passion for reading has tur- “frenetic”, “impossible to put down”, “surprising”, are no way near sufficient. Carme ned into a passion for writing. Carme Chaparra in I’m Not a Monster pushes both her characters and her readers to the has combined her work in television limit. Neither them nor you will come out unscathed. Just try it. with collaborations as a columnist for the magazines Yo Dona – where she has a weekly column –, GQ and Mu- jer Hoy. Currently she also writes her own blog in Yahoo. I’m Not a Mons- ter is her first novel.

RIGHTS SOLD MORE THAN 125.000 COPIES SOLD Portugal (Planeta Manuscrito) Italy (Sem Edizioni) Poland (Muza) English Worldwide (Amazon Crossing) Turkey (Epsilon) AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS France (Plon) MEDIASET (TV & Movie)

.....

“A devilishly intelligent novel with an unexpected ending.” Carmen Posadas, writer

“This will be the thriller of the year.” José María Guelbenzu, writer

“A magnetic novel that keeps you in suspense to the end.” Carme Riera, writer and Spanish language academic

PUBLICATION DATE 21st MARCH 2017

32 BEST- PLANETA SELLING TOP-TITLE AUTHOR 2017 ANA (Planeta) Roberto Santiago LEGAL THRILLER

AUTHOR OF ONE OF SPAIN´S MOST NOTICEABLE LITERARY PHENOMENON OF RECENT YEARS: LOS FUTBOLÍSIMOS WITH 3.000K COPIES SOLD IN SPAIN ALONE

Ana Tramel: With A for attorney. With A for addicted ©Nines Mínguez to alcohol, pills and sex. And with A for anaesthetized (to emotions, adjectives, and sycophants). In this story absolutely everything revolves around her, the protago- nist, narrator and dynamo of the plot. In her forties, she’s about to experience a journey to the dark side of the gambling world, and to come up against an internatio- nal corporation that deals in thousands of millions and Roberto Santiago has hundreds of lawyers on their payroll. Said with the Roberto Santiago is a writer, playwri- utmost humility: from this moment on, we are all Ana ght and film director. He has written Tramel. over twenty novels for children and young adults. Among others, the co- An excellent domestic noir which, thanks to the llection Los futbolísimos (‘Footballis- powerful voice of Ana, the protagonist, maintains the ms’) (Editorial SM), which has beco- me the best selling saga of children’s pace of the best international successes. A novel which literature in Spain in recent years and is more feminist than feminine. A great judicial plot featuring the addiction to gam- has been translated into many lan- bling. guages. He has written and directed, ... among others, the films El penalti más largo del mundo (The Longest Penalty Shot In The World) (nomina- ‘I can take hits like no one, that’s the truth, it’s not easy to knock me down.’ ted for a Goya for best screenplay), El club de los suicidas (The Suicide Club), Al final del camino (At The Ana Tramel is a lawyer with a dark past who has reached the lowest point in her ca- End Of The Road) and the internatio- reer. Years before, she was a brilliant barrister specializing in important media cases, nal co-production El sueño de Iván taken on by the city’s best firms. She now spends her days between administrative (Ivan’s Dream). resources in a mediocre buffet, anaesthetising her emotions in a glass of whiskey. For theatre he has written the adap- One morning, still recovering from a habitual hangover, Tramel receives a call tations of Ocho apellidos vascos (Ei- from the past. Her brother Alejandro, with whom she hasn’t spoken for five years, calls ght Basque Surnames), El otro lado from the station of the Spanish Civil Guard in Torreledones. He has been arrested for de la cama (The other side of the the murder of the director of the Castilla Grande Casino. He desperately asks for her bed) and Perversiones sexuales en Chicago (Sexual Perversity in Chica- help. Although she has been out of the practice for ages she is the only person he go) by David Mamet, among others. can trust. He has participated in a number of Reluctantly Ana sets off. Tired and out of training, she trusts no one, not even television series, is professor at the herself. But, after all, it is her brother. During the investigation to prepare the defence Official Cinema School in Madrid, she discovers a number of things: The first is that the crime has been recorded on the and his short film Ruleta (‘Roulette’) Casino’s closed-circuit television. Secondly, Alejandro had gambling debts of almost was the first Spanish short to compe- eight hundred thousand euros. And thirdly, her brother is a box of surprises; as well as te in the Official Section of the Can- being a compulsive gambler and a murderer, he has a two-year-old son. nes Film Festival. Ana is his first novel for adults. Ana asks for help from Concha, her boss and an old friend from the Law Faculty. She needs the organisation and resources of an office in order to prepare a defence that has everything going against it. She convinces her in exchange for reassurances she will stop drinking and will renew her belief in the judicial system; promises she knows are beyond her.

33 BEST- PLANETA SELLING TOP-TITLE AUTHOR 2017 ANA (Planeta) Roberto Santiago LEGAL THRILLER

Tramel prepares a peculiar outfit to take on the case. Its members: an elderly retired investigator, a novice lawyer whose greatest merit is having stolen the entry exams from her law school, and a gambler who would sell his mother for a fistful of cash. What Ana doesn’t know is she will have to take on the biggest companies in the game. The appearance of a malicious homicide hides a much more complex plot, above all the eternal struggle of man: good versus bad, reason versus feeling, and a forty-something lawyer addicted to pills and alcohol, against an Corporation with assets in the billions. In ANA nothing is what it seems. Not one of the characters is exactly a saint. And as Patricia Highsmith said of one of her stories ‘they are going to see a woman do what no male protagonist in literature of the past forty years would dare: behave with compassion, heroism and expose her body and soul to humiliation’.

FIRST PRINT RUN AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS RIGHTS SOLD 15.000 COPIES TV and Movie rights acquired by DeAPlaneta Italy (Rizzoli) France (Editions du Seuil) Poland (Muza) Czech Republic (Host Vydavatelstvi, S.R.O) Greece (Patakis)

“I was so hooked I couldn’t stop reading. I arrived in Spain by plane from Germany and before taking the car from the airport I sat in the airport lounge and read the two remaining chapters. An enthralling novel.” María Dueñas, writer

“A rollercoaster ride into the world of gambling and the courts. Thrilling, original, subtle and action-packed. The extremely humane Ana stands out for her bad character, her mistakes and her talent.” Isabelle Gugnon, publisher at SEUIL (France)

“I have spent days telling those around me about Ana, and I realise that one of the greatest merits of this novel is how it brings back one’s pleasure in reading.” Giovanna Canton, publisher at Rizzoli (Italy)

“It’s absolutely gripping. I’m impressed by the strong psychological portrait of Ana, the twists of the plot, the masterclass of the author. This legal thriller has many assets. It doesn’t happen very often that I have such a strong feeling, like in this case, that I just must grab it for the house.” Katarzyna Lipnicka, publisher at Muza (Poland)

“A real page-turner with a smart and ironic heroin. A sophisticated, emotional and credible image of a man’s life.” Nikola Marzyová, publisher at Host (Czech Republic)

“Roberto Santiago arrived at Planeta having previously sold more than a million copies of his ‘Los futbolismos’ (‘Footballisms’) saga. Now with a new direction to his career he maintains his narrative pulse with a powerful novel and a protagonist who arrives like an arrow piercing the heart of the reader. An author who has dazzled us.” Raquel Gisbert, publisher at Planeta (Spain)

“As well as thoroughly enjoying it I am surprised by the impact the story has had on me and by the work that has gone into it. It is purely visceral; it grabs you from the beginning. And the writing, its form and structure, surprised me; not only does it captivate but it goes further and is at once a literary novel and a best-seller, something rarely achieved.” Mireia Acosta, television producer

PUBLICATION DATE 21st FEBRUARY 2017

34 LONG SELLER EL DESPERTAR DE LA SEÑORITA PRIM (Planeta) (The awakening of Miss Prim) Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera INSPIRATIONAL FEEL-GOOD STORY

Drawn by an attractive newspaper advert, Miss Prim, a refined, independent and “extremely accomplished” ©Rai Robledo woman, arrives in San Ireneo de Arnois, a delightful little village where nothing turns out to be what it seems. Despite the fact that at first, the surprising lifestyle of the townspeople awakens amazement, perplexity and even disdain in her, their peculiar and unconventional ways gradually put her view of the world to the test, cha- Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera llenging her innermost notions and fears as well as her Is a journalist and has spent most of deepest convictions. her career in the economic reporting field. She has a Law degree from the ULC, masters in Journalism from El País School of Journalism and the UAM and a PIDD (Program for ma- nagerial development) from the ESIC Business School. She has headed up the sections Cinco Sentidos (offe- ring the latest information on travel, culture, personal finances etc.) and Vida Profesional (news relating to OVER 75.000 COPIES SOLD IN SPAIN highly-qualified professionals) of the ON ITS NINTH EDITION business daily Cinco Días, where she currently runs the Opinion section. ON SALE IN OVER 70 COUNTRIES El despertar de la señorita Prim is her first novel......

“El despertar de la señorita Prim is an exquisite novel. The richness of its characters will transport the reader to a world similar to that of Charles Dickens’ and Louisa May RIGHTS SOLD Alcott’s classics. The literary value of this work will spark much comment throughout the international publishing world.” USA and Canada Johanna Castillo, Vice-president and editor at Atria Books – Simon & Schuster (USA) (Atria Books – Simon & Schuster Group) “This book is full of charm, an unusual tale with real heart. It’s about literature, philoso- UK and Commonwealth phy, friendship and most importantly, love.” (Abacus - Little Brown) Rowan Cope, editor at Abacus grupo Little Brown (United Kingdom) Italy (Mondadori) Germany (Thiele Verlag) “From start to finish, the atmosphere of this novel gives off an aroma of 19th century France (Les Editions Gras- English literature, which I personally find astonishing (Jane Austen and her characters set & Fasquelle) come to mind). The writing, which is in a truly classic style, is alive and the dialogues Poland (Amber) are delectable. In short, it is a tremendously refreshing novel, Czech Republic much needed in these gloomy times.” (Host Vydavatelstvi) Ariane Fasquelle, editor at Grasset (France) Brazil (Quadrante de Sociedade “I fell in love with Miss Prim from the first line. This novel has awakened a longing in me de Publicaçoes Culturais) for beauty, truth and goodness. This book goes to the crux, or should I say, Lithuania the heart of everything.” (VšĮ, Tikroji moneta) Daniela Thiele, editor at Thiele Verlag (Germany) Slovenia (Druzina) Croatia (Verbum) Portugal (Porto Editora Turkey (Epsilon)

35 LA GRANDEZA DE LAS COSAS SIN NOMBRE (La esfera de los libros) (The greatness of nameless things) Enrique Arce FEEL-GOOD STORY ©Nicholas Dawkes (London, Uk)

A successful star of film, TV and theatre, inclu- ding global hits such as the series Money Heist, Enrique Arce has made a brilliant literary debut with his novel La grandeza de las cosas sin nombre [The greatness of nameless things].

... Enrique Arce Enrique Arce was born in Spain (Va- lencia, 1972). After studying Law in his home city, Arce moved to New It is the summer of 2010, and the FIFA World Cup York, where he took a degree in is being held in South Africa. Samuel Palacios is a Drama at the world-famous Ameri- theatre actor who lives in New York. On the night that can Academy of Dramatic Arts. As he wins a prestigious Tony Award – the Oscars of the an actor, he has performed in some theatre industry – he receives a phone call from his of Spain’s most successful TV series father in Madrid, informing him that his sister, Sara, has died at the age of 48. Thir- (Periodistas [Journalists], Compañe- ty-three years have passed since Samuel fled to the USA with his mother and cut all ros [Classmates], Física o Química [Physics or chemistry], Sin tetas no ties with his father. Hearing this voice from the past opens a Pandora’s box of forgo- hay paraíso [No tits, no heaven], Gé- tten memories and Samuel decides to fly to Spain. Without realizing it, he is about nesis [Genesis], Amar en tiempos re- to embark on the journey of his lifetime, one that will enable him to discover who he vueltos [Love in troubled times] and really is, to make peace with his past, and to earn his father’s forgiveness, Samuel’s El tiempo entre costuras [The time in greatest concern since the accident that left his sister in a wheelchair. between]). He has also appeared in fifteen feature-length movies, inclu- La grandeza de las cosas sin nombre has all the hallmarks of a bestseller. It is a ding both Spanish and international great read with broad commercial appeal: moving, emotional, a ‘hero’s journey’ in- productions, and he has performed in more than twenty stage produc- volving a transformation from pain to spiritual serenity. tions in Spain, Los Angeles, London and New York. He is currently starring in the Netflix series Money Heist, which has been a global hit, and he also appears in the US series Kni- ghtfall (History Channel, A&E enter- tainment). He is the co-author of the screenplay of the movie 9 meses [9 RIGHTS SOLD months], in which he also plays the Portugal (A esfera dos livros) lead role. La grandeza de las cosas sin nombre is his first novel.

PUBLICATION DATE AUGUST 28th 2018

36 MI RECUERDO ES MÁS FUERTE QUE TU OLVIDO (Remembrance) (Planeta) FERNANDO LARA AWARD 2016 Paloma Sánchez-Garnica WOMEN´S FICTION

Independent, with a brilliant career as a judge res- pected by everyone that surrounded her… Carlota had

©Asís Ayerbe it all to be happy. However she always missed out on one Christmas. When she turned twelve and her mother revealed to her the terrible secret she had been keeping all those years, Carlota knew that nothing would ever be the same again. The word “bastard” sticks to her as a stigma. The word “family” will never have the same me- Paloma Sánchez-Garnica aning again. Decades later, a phone call from her dying (Madrid, 1962) is a History and Law father will leave her torn between the craving desire of graduate. She is the author of El gran discovering it all and the instinctive impulse of running Arcano (The great Mystery) (2006), away and staying clear of her family’s harrowing truths. La Brisa de Oriente (The Eastern A family saga set in Madrid, where members are tra- Breeze) (2009), and her novel El Alma pped between secrets, lies, memories and oblivion. de las Piedras (The soul of the stones) (2010) was a big hit with readers with A novel where female protagonists are forced to ask five editions being published. La So- - and answer- the terrible question: should truth be told if the past cannot be changed nata del silencio (Sonata of silence) or is silence preferable in order not to turn the future into a burden? (2014) established her among critics A novel about female social status and its evolution through the conflicts and and readers as a writer of great lite- dilemmas of three generations of women. rary character. A novel about the individual capacity of changing our fate in pursuit of happiness, It was made into a seven episode TV no matter how elusive this may be. series, broadcast on prime time on An optimistic novel about forgiveness: how liberating it is to forgive but also how Spanish national Television. Both this novel and her next one, Mi Recuerdo freeing it can be to dare to ask to be forgiven. es más fuerte que tu olvido (Memory Remembrance (Mi Recuerdo es más fuerte que tu olvido) is marvellously and one, 2016), have enjoyed consi- written with a cadence and a precision in language that characterizes Paloma San- derable success in several countries, chez-Garnica’s literature, author of La Sonata del Silencio (Sonata of Silence). Com- such as USA, Brazil, Italy and Portu- plex female protagonists drive this saga of secrets and lies while the plot stirs up the gal. La sospecha de Sofia (Sofia’s sus- reader’s curiosity all the way through an irrepressible wish to eventually sort out those picion) (2019) is her latest release. terrible family secrets. In the author’s own words, Remembrance (Mi Recuerdo es más fuerte que tu olvido) this is her “most personal novel so far. It has been written from the maturity granted by the years, from the readings that keep accompanying me, from my own recollections, the memory I have of everything that I have seen, heard, felt, even from RELEASE DATE all those things that I have forgotten.” 7th. JUNE 2016

ON ITS 5th. EDITION ..... In the readers’ opinion:

OVER 30.000 “Once again Paloma Sanchez-Garnica demonstrates her artistry by giving a great COPIES SOLD narrative pace to a plot full of intrigue and secrets, to a growing mystery that keeps us trapped in the story. She gives birth to characters utterly sophisticated and real; BEST-SELLERS the plot is brilliantly hatched with a very clear, nimble and direct prose along with RANKING some elaborated dialogues which makes it a veracious read, as a result of both its SINCE RELEASE content and its characters.” Blog Leyendo y leyendo “A brilliant work of investigation combined with a great discriminating intelligen- RIGHTS SOLD ce. “Mi recuerdo es más fuerte que tu olvido” definitely marks a step forward in the author’s literary career. I will certainly read every book that she is to publish as I will English surely find in them an enjoyable mix of entertainment, emotion and reflexion.” (Amazon Crossing) Blog Un libro en las antípodas Italy (Piemme) ..... “Mi recuerdo es más fuerte que tu olvido is an impressive novel about misguides lives, about the importance of forgiveness as a source of all meaningful existence, as well as an allegation against women’s mistreatment. A must-read.” BOOK TRAILER Francisco Javier Rodríguez Álvarez, bookseller

37 SEIX BARRAL TOP-TITLE EL DIOS DE NUESTRO SIGLO (Seix Barral) 2017 (God of our age) Lorenzo Luengo EDGY LITERARY FICTION ©Ricardo Sánchez Rodríguez

Having got through the first decade following 9/11, and five years after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers, Daniella Men- des, a detective for thirty-three years, takes on the search for three children – Jon Rosario, Dave Mulkern and Latrena Dersi- monian – who have disappeared during a scorching hot sum- mer in a city between Texas and New Mexico, a few kilometres from the nuclear deserts. It is a particularly quiet city set in the apparently ideal surroundings of rolling hills where the upper class families (the Rosarios, the Mulkerns and the Dersimonians) Lorenzo Luengo (Madrid, 1974) has written various novels, can live without seeing the racial tensions which have begun articles and critical editions. His short sto- to undermine little by little the suburbs. During long sleepless ries, published in numerous anthologies nights, suffering from the worst heatwave of the century ‘and and literary magazines, have received fifty the typical ails of all pregnant women’, Daniella discovers Jon awards. and Dave’s obsession for scientific conjecture, the comics of a His first novel won the José Luis Cano Prize demented genius who lives in a caravan in the desert, and the (2002) and in no time caught the attention of the critics for its originality and narrati- secret life of Latrena (with her dangerous imitation of the adult ve approach and the poetic quality of its world), in the dark side of the internet. What starts as just ano- prose. He followed this with the Diarios de ther case becomes for Daniella an interior journey – a triangle Lord Byron (‘Diaries of Lord Byron’) (2008), of science, religion and philosophy – which transforms her vision of the universe, and throws her the fruit of more than five years of investi- into an urgent search to recover that solid foundation we consider the ‘real’. gation and studies of the letters, biogra- phical and personal notes of the English poet: an “outstanding edition” (ABC). Later appeared the novels El quinto pere- grino (‘The fifth pilgrim’) (2009), Juan March Cencillo Award, and Amerika (‘Amerika’) “My current reading: El dios de nuestro siglo (God of our time): a powerful and well written novel (2009), for which he received the award by Lorenzo Luengo. I predict a promising future of quality literature XIV Premio Ateneo Joven de Sevilla. The coming from this writer’s hands.” author of Patria critics described this work as a “phan- Fernando Aramburu, tasmagorical and lucid pastiche-novel that combines intrigue, delirium and a “Lorenzo Luengo combines accuracy and versatility; a search for pleasure for pleasure’s sake that sophisticated sense of play” (Diario de should be the norm in those who write.” EL PAÍS León), a “fantastic epic full of mysteries and secrets” (Qué Leer), a “perfect no- “A name worth noting down.” Javier Velaza, Expansión vel” (El Comercio) and a “masterpiece” (El Correo Gallego). Four years later he received the award XLV “Profound literature... His book lay on my desk; I opened it and read this treasure. Inside is the Premio Ateneo de Sevilla with the novel destruction of the world, the sadness of seeing it fall… Read it!.” Juan Cruz, El País Abaddon (‘Abaddon’) (2013), of which was said: “a very unconventional reading “If what is truly important in literature is the tone, this novel bets everything on it. Unmissable!.” (Leer), experience” “a box of metaphy- Juan Carlos Galindo, El País sical resonances” (Diario de León) and “an exercise in verbal virtuosity that “The prodigious Lorenzo Luengo… A caustic detective, a Mickey Spillane with an understanding brings narrative discipline prodigiously close to quantum physics. An almost su- of science close to that of Stephen Hawking.” Xurxo Fernández, El Correo Gallego pernatural experiment that places this work at the forefront of contemporary “Stunning... A novel of great depth and critical power where the reader is faced with the fears literature” (El Correo Gallego). hidden beneath a directionless society.” Forbes His latest book is the collection of short stories El satanismo contado a los niños “A cult novel.” Leer (‘Satanism told to children’) (2014), “a magnificent work of an original writer who reaches dazzling moments. Words “An intellectual tale of ideas with a strong existentialist thread, framed with an uncommon sensiti- rise to become vines in a forest eterna- vity towards culture. Magnificent scenes of amazing strength that show a desolation that wounds lly growing in the immense river of its and burns. A grave warning, surely prophetic, about the wrong direction our world is moving in.” prose ” (Diario de Córdoba). Santos Sanz Villanueva, Zenda

“El dios de nuestro siglo (‘God of our time’) is Big Brother, is Internet; this sea we dive into headfirst without clearly knowing what it is in the water… his wonderful writer Lorenzo Luengo tells of all its dangers in a very astute and profound way.” Benjamín Prado, RNE PUBLICATION DATE 9th MAY 2017 “A tale of contemporary terror… The annihilation of humankind following 11-S, in an irresistible style similar to Lovecraft.” Maica Rivera, ABC

“After the opening phrase it is hard to stop. It hooks the reader and unfolds paradoxes on our relationship with beauty, truth and life. A cult novel that is beyond categories.” Karina Sainz Borgo, Vozpópuli

38 SEIX BARRAL TOP-TITLE EL DIOS DE NUESTRO SIGLO (Seix Barral) 2017 (God of our age) Lorenzo Luengo EDGY LITERARY FICTION

“A very unusual reading experience.” Leer, on La cuestión Dante (The Dante question)

“A magnificent work of an original writer who reaches dazzling moments. Words rise to become vines in a forest eternally growing in the immense river of its prose.” Antonio Garrido, Diario de Córdoba, on El satanismo contado a los niños (Satanism told to children)

“The find of the decade. Thrilling. Absolutely to be recommended. Amerika is not just a masterpiece, it is from all points of view the work of a classic writer, a canonical narrator.” Xurxo Fernández, El Correo Gallego, on Amerika

39 ESCARCHA (Galaxia Gutemberg) (Frost) Ernesto Pérez Zúñiga BILDUNGSROMAN/COMING-OF-AGE

©Daniel Mordzinski Part of the rich European tradition of the Bildungsro- man, Escarcha [Frost] is a unique novel which will reso- nate with readers. It portrays Spain at the turn of the mi- llennium as seen through the eyes of Monte, a sensitive adolescent who gradually loses his way as he is exposed to life’s many challenges: family, cruel teachers, religion, emotional relationships, friendship… and the vicissitudes of History. Ernesto Pérez Zúñiga (Madrid, 1971) is a novelist and a Escarcha describes a fascinating and disturbing jour- poet. He is the author of No can- ney, through the actions of a series of individuals who taremos en tierra de extraños [We mark Monte’s life: from the teacher who robs his pupils won’t sing in a strange land] (Galaxia of their innocence to the drug dealer with whom Monte Gutenberg, 2016), a thrilling adven- competes in love and in death. Monte will have to learn ture set against the backdrop of the struggle against totalitarianism. His that even the most beautiful experiences in life can be previous books include the novels La a source of loss. But also that shedding one’s inherited identity can be a source of fuga del maestro Tartini [The flight of fulfilment. Master Tartini] (2013, winner of one of Spain’s most important literary Emotionally intense but never overblown, Escarcha is a remarkably sensitive co- awards, the Torrente Ballester Prize), ming-of-age novel that occupies a key position in Ernesto Pérez Zúñiga’s work. El juego del mono [The monkey’s game] (2011), El segundo círculo [The second circle] (2007, Luis Berenguer Prize) and Santo diablo [Holy devil] (2004), all of which received excellent reviews.

He has also published a collection of short stories – Las botas de siete PUBLICATION DATE leguas y otras maneras de morir [The seven-league boots and other ways OCTOBER 10th 2018 to die] (2002) – and has produced a distinctive body of poetry: Siete caminos para Beatriz [Seven paths for Beatrice] (2014), Cuadernos del hábito oscuro [Notebooks of a dark habit] (2007), Calles para un pez luna [Streets for a sunfish] (2002), Ella cena de día [She dines by day] (2000), Los cuartos menguantes [On the wane] (1997) and El vigilante [The watch- man] (1991). His articles and essays have been published in newspapers and magazines, and he is recognized as one of the leading writers of re- cent generations in Spanish.

40 SALVAJE OESTE (Espasa) NOVEL (Wild west) CURRENT AFFAIRS Juan Tallón INTERNATIONAL

“The days when one could become rich, slowly

© Pablo Araújo and through hard work, after a long apprenticeship, were in the past; now it was a fight to the finish. There was no time to pause and reflect on the fact that you were rich, because if you stopped to think you would lose money, as it flowed inexorably to somebody else, to somebody more pragmatic, to somebody who didn’t think but just acted.” Juan Tallón ... (b. Ourense, 1975) has a degree in philosophy from the University of Santiago de Compostela. He con- Politicians. Businesspeople. Journalists. Bankers. tributes to a number of newspapers Power. Money. Pleasure. Corruption. Salvaje oeste [Wild and magazines – including El País, El West] is a work of fiction. Although the characters aren’t Progreso and Jot Down – and regu- larly appears on the radio program- based on real people, either living or dead, the novel de- me A vivir que son dos días, on Ca- picts an era, one marked by the total control exercised by its elites. This is the story dena Ser. Salvaje Oeste is his fourth of the rise, dominance and fall of a generation of politicians and businesspeople who novel and follows Fin de poema [The treated a whole country as their private fiefdom, and how the press reacted to this end of the poem], winner of the Luei- display of power. ro Rey Short Novel Prize, El váter de Onetti [Onetti’s toilet] and A pregun- Juan Tallón does not set out simply to record current events or recent history, a ta perfecta [A perfect question]. He role that should be performed by the media. He goes beyond this descriptive ‘what’ has also published several works of non-fiction, including Libros peligro- to offer a deeper, more timeless, more literary ‘why’, in a novel that is a depiction – as sos [Dangerous books] and Manual devastating as it is necessary – of power in all its forms, written with an undeniable de fútbol [Football handbook]. In literary talent that shines through every page and each of its characters. 2016 he published Mientras haya ba- res [So long as there are still bars], an anthology of his journalism.

PUBLICATION DATE 5 APRIL 2018

41 NADAL AWARD 2015 CABARET BIARRITZ (Destino-Grupo Planeta) UP-MARKET LITERATURE José C. Vales COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL

In the summer of 1925, the residents of Biarritz were shocked by a tragic event. The body of a young girl ©Rai Robledo appeared dangling with a foot caught in one of the iron rings used for securing boats in the port. In 1938, the young, passionate writer Georges Miet receives what would turn out to be the most important assignment of his career. His editor asks him to write a ‘serious’ novel about what had taken place in Biarritz al- Jose C. Vales most fifteen years earlier. (Zamora, 1965) (Zamora, 1965) Stu- Miet does not hesitate to travel to the vibrant, coas- died a degree in Spanish Language tal city to speak to everyone who could have been linked and Literature at the University of Sa- lamanca and went on to specialize in to the event and comes upon people from all rungs of the philosophy and aesthetics of ro- the social ladder; ranging from domestic employees to mantic literature in Madrid. His work distinguished, high-society ladies, as well as reporters, has always been linked to the publi- two gendarmes, a photographer, artists, performers, a shing world, as a writer, editor and judge and even a nun. translator for various publishers. He created the updated edition of Char- Miet interviews each person he believes to be involved, as if preparing a press les Dicken’s Cuentos de Navidad (A feature, in order to meticulously transcribe their statements. He sketches an accurate Christmas carol and other christmas stories) (Espasa, 2011) and Anthony and detailed portrait of sophisticated, outrageous Biarritz, which turns into the model Trollope’s classic: Las torres de Bar- setting for those golden years of the 1920s during which society sought to break with chester (Barchester towers) (Espasa, the most long-established and outdated conventions. 2008). Some of his most notable transla- tions and pieces of editing include the ninth publication of Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft and Percy B. Shelley (Espasa, 2009) based on “Cabaret Biarritz is an extraordinary, comic symphony, at times redolent of other the new manuscripts found in the works such as La verdad sobre el caso Savolta (The Truth About the Savolta Case) Bodleian Library in Oxford, and the by Eduardo Mendoza.” Wilkie Collins classics, La piedra lu- nar) (The moonstone) and Armada- Lorenzo Silva, writer and President of the Nadal literary award panel 2015 le, published in 2007 and 2008 by Verticales de Bolsillo-Belacqva. His latest translations for the publishing “Cabaret Biarritz masterfully mixes criminal investigation and social parody. Vales house Impedimenta have merited builds a magnificent literary artifact that is a striking display of discernment.” considerable recognition: La hija del Francisco Solano, Babelia. El País optimista, (The optimist’s daughter) by Eudora Welty, La hija de Robert “It is an astonishing Nadal award winner.” Poste, (Cold comfort farm) by Stella Gibbons, Reina Lucía (Queen Lucia) EITB and Mapp y Lucía, (Mapp and Lucia) by E. F. Benson, as well as La juguete- “José C. Vales’ narrative style is somewhat reminiscent of the most renowned and ría errante, (The moving toyshop) by highly-regarded storytellers in English literature of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Edmund Crispin. such as Lewis or Dickens. The reader is presented with prose in which the elegant His first novel is called El Pensionado narration shines through, the simplicity of the most traditional elements of Dicken- de Neuwelke, (The Neuwelke boar- sian literature in contrast with lyricism.” ding School) and was published by Planeta in 2013. Revista Krítica “With a singular cohort of characters he creates a magnificent literary world that is an exhibition of astuteness.” OVER 30.000 COPIES El País SOLD IN SPAIN “Written from the pleasure of storytelling which is at the same time the pleasure of reading.” RIGHTS SOLD La Vanguardia Italy (Neri Pozza) Romania (Editura Trei) “We find ourselves before a first-class narrator.” France (Denöel - Gallimard) El Mundo

42 Alexandra Templier Foreign Rights Managing Director [email protected]

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