North America (Mexico)
Inés Arredondo, born in 1928 in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, pursued her studies in drama at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She also became a fellow at the Mexican Center for Writers. Arredondo has experience teaching at Indiana University and lived in Montevideo from 1963 to 1964. In 1965, she released her book "La señal," which includes the story "Mariana." Her second collection of short stories, "Río subterráneo," published by Joaquín Mortiz in 1979, earned her the prestigious Villaurrutia Prize for fiction. Her books can be found here.
Raquel Banda Farfán, born on March 10, 1927, in San Luis Potosí, is a notable Mexican novelist and short story writer of the "Medio Siglo" generation. She began her career as a literacy teacher in rural schools before moving to the capital to study Literature at UNAM. Farfán published her first short story collection at 25 and became known for her dynamic storytelling, capturing the complexities of rural Mexican life, including themes of trauma, poverty, and the struggles of women. Her works, such as her novel Cuesta Abajo, often depict the harsh realities of rural-to-urban migration. Critics have praised her authentic portrayal of Mexican rural life, likening her to literary greats like Maupassant and Chekhov. An integral part of the female fantastic literature movement in Mexico, Farfán's legacy includes seven short story collections and two novels, continuing to be celebrated for her depiction of Mexican culture and the human condition.
Elena Poniatowska, born in Paris in 1932, is a distinguished French-born Mexican journalist and author. Specializing in social and political issues, she focuses on the disenfranchised, particularly women and the poor. Poniatowska's family fled Mexico during the Revolution and moved back when she was ten to escape World War II. At 18, she started writing for Excélsior, despite limited opportunities for women at the time, and wrote extensively on social and political topics. Her most famous work, "La noche de Tlatelolco" (Massacre in Mexico), chronicles the repression of the 1968 student protests. Nicknamed "the Red Princess" for her leftist views, she is celebrated as "Mexico's grande dame of letters" and remains an active writer.
Her career includes novels, essays, and journalism, focusing on social justice and human rights. Poniatowska published influential testimonial narratives, providing a voice to underrepresented individuals, notably in her book on the 1968 massacre. As a co-founder of La Jornada and other significant publications, her impact on Mexican journalism and literature is profound. Her works have been translated into multiple languages, and she continues to be a prominent figure in literary circles, frequently giving talks and seminars internationally. UC Berkeley's collection of her books can be checked out here.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (12 November 1651 – 17 April 1695) was a writer, philosopher, composer, poet of the Baroque period, and Hieronymite nun from New Spain (now Mexico). She was known for her contributions to Spanish Golden Age literature as "The Tenth Muse" and "The Phoenix of America." Her roles included a candidate for Catholic sainthood, a symbol of Mexican nationalism, and an advocate for freedom of speech, women's rights, and sexual diversity. Her legacy remains a topic of ongoing debate.
Elena Garro (1916-1998) was a Mexican author, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, short story writer, and novelist. Although she rejected this label, she is recognized as a pioneer of the Magical Realism movement. Her notable works include "Un hogar sólido" (1958), "Los recuerdos del porvenir" (1963), and "La semana de colores" (1964). Garro's writing often combined realistic descriptions with surreal elements, drawing comparisons to French writers like Jean Genet and Eugène Ionesco. She was married to Nobel Prize-winning writer Octavio Paz from 1937 to 1959. Her books can be found in our catalog here.
María Elvira Bermúdez, born in Durango on November 27, 1916, and who passed away in Mexico City on May 7, 1988, was a Mexican writer and essayist renowned for her contributions to detective fiction. She was one of the pioneering narrators and theorists of the genre in Mexico. Bermúdez was among the first women to graduate from the Escuela Libre de Derecho and was deeply involved in advocating for women's rights, including promoting women's suffrage. She published her first detective stories in the 1940s, becoming a prominent figure in the literary scene. She is often called the "Mexican Agatha Christie" for creating the first female detective in Latin American literature. Her books in the UC Berkeley Library's collections can be found here.
Dahlia de la Cerda, born in 1985 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, is a prominent writer and activist known for focusing on gender violence and marginalized communities. Her notable works include "Reservoir Bitches," which was long listed for the International Booker Prize in 2025, and "Desde los zulos" (From the Hiding Places). De la Cerda's writing often explores themes of violence against women, drawing from her personal experiences and her advocacy work with the organization Morras Help Morras, which supports women seeking abortions in Mexico.
