Laura Ferrero in Washington, DC

Spanish writer Laura Ferrero visits Washington, D.C. for a literary conversation at Georgetown University, where she will explore key themes in her work and creative process.

Defined by critics as one of the most evocative voices in contemporary Spanish literature and an exceptional storyteller, Laura Ferrero crafts narratives that blend personal reflection with universal resonance. Through her novels and essays, she delves into themes of identity, memory, and family relationships with an evocative and introspective style.

During her talk at Georgetown University, Ferrero will reflect on the boundaries between fiction and reality, the role of memory in shaping narratives, and how literature allows us to reinterpret our own experiences. Drawing from her acclaimed works, she will explore how storytelling becomes both a mirror and a refuge, offering insight into her creative process and literary journey.

This event is part of her visit to Washington, DC, where she will engage in discussions about her writing, themes, and the evolving landscape of contemporary literature.

A fascinating and original work that uses elements from the author’s own life but explores them as fiction, Los astronautas is comparable to titles by other prize-winning authors of autofiction such as Annie Ernaux, Rachel Cusk, Douglas Stuart, Sigrid Nuñez, Ocean Vuong, Ben Lerner, and Karl Ove Knausgåard. I found it an engrossing and thought-provoking read. The tension increases the further the story progresses, up to the very end.

— Catherine Jagoe, translator

Laura Ferrero

Laura Ferrero (Barcelona, 1984) is a writer, screenwriter, and journalist. She graduated with degrees in Journalism and Philosophy. Her articles and reviews are regularly featured in El País, among other outlets, and as a scriptwriter she has worked for several film and TV projects, including the awarded documentary El techo amarillo, the screen adaptation of Un amor by Sara Mesa or HBO’s Foodie Love.

She debuted with the short stories Piscinas vacías (Alfaguara, 2016), that put her in the radar of readers and critics. Qué vas a hacer con el resto de tu vida (Alfaguara, 2017) was her acclaimed debut novel, followed by the successful collection of short stories, La gente no existe (Alfaguara, 2021).

Her latest novel is Los astronautas (Alfaguara, 2023), widely praised by the critics and one of the best novels of the year according to El Periódico and Babelia / El País.