The boom that is going through the literature written by women in Latin America has left a trail of publications ranging from novels to short stories, in genres as diverse as horror to dirty realism.
Below we present a guide with the works by some of the most renowned Latin American writers with which you can delve into their creations.
Mariana Enriquez
Considered the “Queen of Terror”, Mariana Enriquez Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1973.
When he was barely 19 years old he wrote his first novel Going down is the worst (1995), becoming a sudden success by crudely writing the rReality of Argentine youth after the dictatorship.
Apart from this novel, he has four others.among which the most recent stands out, Our share of night (2019), with which She became the first Argentine writer to win the Herralde Prize for literature..
Influenced mainly by the works of authors such as Stephen King and H.P. LovecraftMariana has also written three books of short stories, The dangers of smoking in bed (2009), The things we lost in the fire (2019) and A shady place for shady people (2024).
All his narrative work is characterized by rcreate a horror based on Latin American social criticism. Apart from fiction, he has also written chronicles, essays and biographiesamong those books, stands out The other side. Portraits, fetishes, confessions (2020), where He compiled his work as a music journalist, especially on rock and punk.
Liliana Colanzi
The Bolivian Liliana Colanziborn in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in 1981, has stood out as academic, writer, journalist and editor.
She is recognized for her short story workwho responds, from the grounds of the Science fictionto the questioning of How capitalism “exploits natural resources and dispossesses the original owners” of Latin Americaas in Permanent vacation (2010) and Our dead world (2016).
Colanzi was a finalist for the Gabriel García Márquez Latin American Short Story Prize and has been catalogued by the Hay Festival as one of the 39 of the most outstanding Latin American writers under 40 years old. He currently resides in New York, where he is Professor of Latin American Literature at Cornell University.
Samantha Schweblin
Considered as another of the essential contemporary authors of Argentina, Samantha Schweblinborn in 1978, stands out for its particular narrative tension from horror and magical realism to discuss issues such as Alienation and violence in everyday environmentswhere the technology can also play an important role.
The writer has received several awards, including the National Endowment for the Artsfrom Argentina, and that of the House of the Americasfor his short story books The Core of the Disturbance (2002) and Birds in the mouth (2009), respectively. Currently lives in Germany where he teaches writing workshops.
Fernanda Melchor
Born in 1982 in Veracruz, Fernanda Melchor is currently one of the most recognized Mexican writers Internationally, she is considered among the authors of The best books of the 21st century so faraccording to The New York Timesfor his novel Hurricane Season (2017).
His writing is recognized by the Frank and realistic style in portraying violence, organized crime, and different forms of exploitationespecially the one experienced in his home state, which he has also referred to in his work as a journalistcompiled in the book of chronicles This is not Miami (2013).
This compilation earned him the Ryszard Kapuściński Prize for Literary Reportingthe largest of its kind in Poland.
Claudia Salazar Jimenez
With special interest in topics related to the historical claim of the communitiesas well as the complaint of the violencethe writer Claudia Salazar Jimenezborn in Peru in 1976, is one of the reference authors of her country, as well as a important cultural manager.
His novel The blood of dawn (2013) describes the way in which Women entered armed conflicts as part of the guerrilla in Peru at the end of the 20th century.
This work is considered by the BBC as one of the 10 most recommended worksHe currently resides in the United States, where he graduated as a PhD in Latin American Literature from New York University.
Cristina Rivera Garza
Originally from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Cristina Rivera Garza is now considered one of the most important Mexican authors at an international level. His book Liliana’s invincible summeroriginally published in Spanish in 2021, was awarded this 2024 with the Pulitzer Prize in the category of Memoir and Autobiography.
This book is an example of how works from research in archiveswith the intention of reclaim forgotten or oppressed storiesas was her sister’s, victim of femicide.
Rivera Garza has written more than 20 books of different genres passing through the poetry, the novel and the essay. Among his books stands out La Castañeda. Grieving narratives from the General Asylum (2010), Death gives me (2009) and Grieving. Texts from a wounded country (2011).
Barrier Bird
Barrier Birdborn in Guadalajara in 1980, has been Recognized as one of the most outstanding Mexican writers of her generation Since his first novel, Doors too small (2013), where he literally travels around Mexico City.
In this novel, as in his other works, including his most recent one Notes from inside a whale (2024)—where she reflects on the relationship between mothers and daughters— The narrative genre and the essay blur, interweaving reflections, anecdotes and a large number of literary references.She has also written short stories and children’s literature books.
Aura Garcia-Junco
Narrator, translator and essayist, the writer Aura Garcia-Junco (Mexico City, 1988) has been mentioned by the magazine Granta as one of the 25 most outstanding young narrators in the Spanish language.
His work includes narrative and essayfrom which he has explored different themes, from mourning, generational clash, disappearances, sexualityamong others.
His first novel is Antikythera, toothed artifact (2018) and his second book was The day I learned that I don’t know how to love (2021). In 2022 he published his second novel, Sea of stonewhich combines the science fiction, surrealism and esotericism.
Valeria Luiselli
Considered by foreign critics as one of the great revelations of our region, the writer Valeria Luiselliborn in Mexico City in 1983, is the The only Latin American writer who has been invited to submit a text to the so-called Library of the Futurewhich may be read until 2114.
Along with it there are also works by authors such as Margaret Atwood or David Mitchell.
His works, both novels and essays, are characterized by talking about topics related to migration and identitylargely influenced by their own experience living abroad. These include: Fake papers (2010), The lost children (2016) and the novels The weightless (2011) and The story of my teeth (2013).
Brenda Navarro
Brenda Navarroborn in Mexico in 1982, is the author of the novels Empty houses (2018) and Ash in the mouth (2022), currently lives in Madrid. His works are characterized by addressing social issues from contemporary approachessuch as motherhood and bullying.
Established authors such as Emiliano Monge and Fernanda Melchor have named her as a revelation in Mexican literatureAs a manager, she has organized several events and opened spaces to make the work of female writers visible, such as #EnjambreLiterario, of which she is the founder.