Authors

HÉCTOR ABAD FACIOLINCE is a Colombian writer, editor, and translator born in Medellín. He has published several books, many of which have been translated to English, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, French, and German. Some of his titles are Asuntos de un hidalgo disoluto (1994), Basura (2000), Angosta (2004), and his more recent novel, Salvo mi corazón, todo está bien (2022). El olvido que seremos (2006), a novel about his father, has won literary prizes in Portugal and the United States.   HÉCTOR ABAD FACIOLINCE es un escritor, editor, traductor y columnista nacido en Medellín, Colombia. Ha publicado quince libros de narrativa. Entre sus novelas están Asuntos de un hidalgo disoluto (1994), Basura (2000, Premio Lengua de Trapo de Narrativa Innovadora), Angosta (2004) y La Oculta (2014). También la novela testimonial sobre la vida de su padre, El olvido que seremos (2006), que ganó premios literarios en Portugal y Estados Unidos. Este año presenta en la Feria su nueva novela Salvo mi corazón, todo está bien (Alfaguara, 2022), que relata la historia de un sacerdote bondadoso quien, a la espera de un trasplante de corazón, pone a prueba sus creencias y su optimismo inquebrantable.

SALAR ABDOH was born in Iran and splits his time between Tehran and New York City. He is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Tehran at Twilight, The Poet Game, Opium, and Out of Mesopotamia – which was a New York Times Editor's Choice and Best Book of the Year from Publishers Weekly – and the editor of Tehran Noir. He is also the deputy chair interim director of the MFA program at the City College of New York. In A Nearby Country Called Love: A Novel (Viking) is his latest work.

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, a recipient of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award, among others. She is also the author of With the Fire on High and Clap When You Land. She holds a BA in performing arts from George Washington University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland. A former fellow of Cave Canem and CantoMundo, Acevedo is a National Poetry Slam champion. A Family Lore: A Novel (Ecco) is her first work for adults.

CHRIS ADAMO is a founding partner of Flamingo Capital, a venture capital syndicate in Miami focusing on Web3, an active angel investor/advisor in 70+ tech startups, and the managing partner of the Arkive Art Fund. Prior, he spent nine years growing 1800Flowers.com into a billion-dollar business. He is a community builder across the arts and nonprofit sectors, and – as per The New York Times, a “Pied Piper” of the #MiamiTech community as the co-founder of The #miamitech Happy Hour and The New Tropic. He has an MBA and B.A. from Binghamton University and lives in Miami with his wife, Randi Wolfson, and two sons, Rhyder and Booker.

NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH is the New York Times-bestselling author of Friday Black. Originally from Spring Valley, New York, he graduated from SUNY Albany and went on to receive his MFA from Syracuse University. His work has appeared or is forthcoming from numerous publications, including The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, Literary Hub, The Paris Review, Guernica, and Longreads. He was selected by Colson Whitehead as one of the National Book Foundation's “5 Under 35” honorees, is a winner of the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and Saroyan Prize, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for Best First Book and the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Chain-Gang All-Stars: A Novel (Pantheon) is his latest book.

SHASTRI AKELLA holds an MFA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His writing has appeared in Guernica, The Master's Review, Electric Literature, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. The Sea Elephants: A Novel (Flatiron Books) is his debut book of fiction.

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, NIGAR ALAM spent her childhood in Turkey, Nigeria, Italy, Kenya, Indonesia, and the United States before returning to Karachi. She has an MBA and CPA and has worked in brand management and auditing. She currently teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Minnesota. Under the Tamarind Tree: A Novel (G.P. Putnam's Sons) is her debut novel.

MITCH ALBOM is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. He has written seven No. 1 New York Times bestsellers – including Tuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, which topped the list for four straight years – award-winning TV shows, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical. Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame, and he is also the recipient of the 2010 Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement. Albom founded and oversees SAY Detroit, a consortium of nine different charitable operations in his hometown, including a nonprofit dessert shop and food product line, which fund programs for Detroit’s most underserved citizens. He also operates an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan.

ANA ALCOLEA nació en Zaragoza, España. Ha sido profesora de Lengua y Literatura durante 26 años. Desde 2001 ha publicado más de treinta libros, sobre todo novelas para niños y jóvenes, algunas de las cuales tienen más de treinta ediciones. Es Premio Cervantes Chico 2016, Premio Anaya 2011, Premio de las Letras Aragonesas 2019, Premio Cuatrogatos 2023. Varios de sus libros están en las prestigiosas listas de la Fundación Cuatrogatos de Miami, en la White Ravens de Munich, en la OEPLI de España. Su labor como escritora se complementa con sus encuentros con lectores tanto por España como fuera, así como con otras labores de promoción de la lectura: en Miami, España, Francia, Italia, Noruega, Marruecos, Colombia. Ha participado en las Ferias del Libro de Madrid y Bogotá. Y ha coordinado diferentes programas de fomento y de animación a la lectura en España. Este año llega a la Feria de Miami para participar en el X Seminario de Literatura Infantil y Lectura, así como para presentar Todas las que fui (Prensas Univ. de Zaragoza, 2023), una novela narrada en primera persona acerca de una mujer que da un repaso a su vida mientras espera la llegada de la muerte.

DUDLEY ALEXIS is a versatile visual artist and filmmaker originally from Haiti, renowned for spotlighting overlooked individuals and stories. Settling in Miami in his teens, Alexis immersed himself in its art scene and honed a distinctive storytelling approach that melds cultural anthropology and empathetic narration. His body of work includes short documentaries and his acclaimed full-length documentary, Liberty in a Soup (2016), exploring the rich history of Haiti's national dish, “soup joumou,” a symbol of Haiti's liberation from France. Alexis' works in the fine arts sector are noteworthy, including his participation in the “Kingdom of This World, Reimagined” during Miami Art Week 2019. Dubbed a modern renaissance man, he combines creativity, tenacity, and an unrelenting quest for knowledge to address global issues and advocate for societal transformation and equity, intending to challenge and reshape public perceptions and consciousness.

NANCY ANCRUM has been the Miami Herald’s editorial page editor since 2013, and is committed to making its opinion pages, both print and digital, as accessible as possible to its readers and writers. She leads a staff of dynamic Editorial Board members -- one of whom, Amy Driscoll, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. A native New Yorker, Ancrum graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism. She began her career at The Baltimore Evening Sun before moving to USA Today, where she worked in the features section, editing way too many stories about Michael Jackson.

ELIZABETH ANDERSON, M-DCPS educator.

SERGIO ANDRICAÍN nació en La Habana, Cuba, en 1956. Es escritor, editor, periodista e investigador literario. Reside en Miami desde 1999. Junto al escritor Antonio Orlando Rodríguez, creó y dirige la Fundación Cuatrogatos, con sede en Miami, dedicada a desarrollar programas culturales y educativos con énfasis en la promoción de lectura entre niños y jóvenes. Ha publicado una treintena de libros infantiles y juveniles entre los que se destacan Rizos Blancos quiere dormir (2021), ¿Dónde está el niño? (2020), Conoce a Dulce María Loynaz (2020), Sirena y punto (2019), La caja de las coplas (2019), La noche más noche (2017) y Dragones en el cielo (2015). Como investigador literario ha dado a conocer La aventura de la palabra (2014) y Escuela y poesía (2016, 2003 y 1997; junto a Antonio Orlando Rodríguez). Participa en el X Seminario de Literatura infantil y Promoción de lectura.

KENISHA E. ANTHONY is the author of Labeled: Ward of the State: A Memoir (State of the Muse) and starred in the 2016 documentary Foster Shock, a firsthand look at what happens to children when they are taken from their abusive families and become dependents of the state of Florida. A multifaceted writer, child welfare professional, foster care advocate, and influencer hailing from Miami, Anthony is an outspoken activist utilizing her experiences to empower others. Her story has been documented in various outlets and publications including NPR, Essence, The Miami Times, and the Miami Herald.

JOHN MANUEL ARIAS is a queer, Costa Rican American poet and writer. He is a CantoMundo fellow and alumnus of the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop. His prose and poetry have been published in PANK, The Rumpus, F(r)iction, Joyland Magazine, and Akashic Books. Where There Was Fire: A Novel (Flatiron Books) is his debut book.

MARIO ALEJANDRO ARIZA is an investigative reporter for Floodlight, an environmental news collaborative. He is a Dominican immigrant and the author of Disposable City: Miami’s future on the Shores of Climate Catastrophe. His essays can be found in Best American Essays 2019. Ariza holds an MFA in poetry from the University of Miami and a master’s degree in Hispanic cultural studies from Columbia University. His writing can be found in places like The New Republic, The Atlantic, and The Believer.

GUILLERMO ARRIAGA nació en Ciudad de México, en 1958. Es uno de los pocos autores en ganar los máximos reconocimientos tanto en cine como en literatura. Obtuvo el premio al mejor escritor en el Festival de Cine de Cannes por Los tres entierros de Melquiades Estrada y en 2020 ganó el Premio Alfaguara de novela con Salvar el fuego. Ha publicado las novelas Escuadrón Guillotina (1991), Un dulce olor a muerte (1994), El búfalo de la noche (1999) y El salvaje (2016), Premio Mazatlán de Literatura 2017. En 2021, Alfaguara publicó una nueva edición de su libro de cuentos, Retorno 201. Es autor de las películas Amores perros, 21 gramos y Babel, por la cual fue nominado al Oscar. En 2008 presentó The Burning Plan, su ópera prima como director, protagonizada por Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence y José María Yazpik. Fue productor y co escritor de la historia Desde allá, primera película iberoamericana en ganar el León de Oro en el Festival de Cine de Venecia. Este año presenta en la Feria su nueva novela Extrañas, obra que recorre el fascinante despegue de la ciencia en el siglo XVII y su pugna con posturas religiosas y aristocráticas.

JUBI ARRIOLA-HEADLEY (he/him) is a Black homoflexible poet, storyteller, first-generation United Statesian, and recipient of the 2021 Housatonic Book Award. Author of the poetry collection original kink (Sibling Rivalry Press), his second collection, Bound, will be published by Persea Books in February 2024.

ALEX ASTER is the pen name of Colombian American writer Alexandra Pierson. She is an author of YA and middle-grade fiction, including the Emblem Island series, inspired by her Colombian heritage and the stories her grandmother told her. Aster graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied creative writing.

RAMONA AUSUBEL is the author of two novels and two story collections, including Awayland and Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty. Winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Fiction and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, Ausubel has been longlisted for the Story Prize. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, NPR's Selected Shorts, and elsewhere.

MONA AWAD – named by Margaret Atwood as her "literary heir" in The New York Times's T Magazine – is the author of the novels All's Well, Bunny, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Bunny was a finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award and the New England Book Award, and was named a Best Book of 2019 by Time, Vogue, and the New York Public Library. It is currently being developed for film with Bad Robot Productions. All's Well was also a finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. Awad's latest book, Rouge: A Novel (Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books) is being adapted for film by Fremantle and Sinestra.

ROBIN FAITH BACHIN is the Charlton W. Tebeau Associate Professor of History, senior associate dean for undergraduate education, and founding director of the Office of Civic and Community Engagement at the University of Miami. She has published widely on topics including universities and community engagement, the history of urban planning and design, and the intersections of urban and environmental history. She is a nationally renowned leader in promoting civic engagement in higher education. Bachin is also project director for the Miami Housing Solutions Lab and past president of the Society for American City and Regional Planning History.

JOAN BAEZ is a musical force of nature whose commitment to social activism has never wavered. Starting with her early 1960s recordings, her performances of traditional ballads exerted a powerful attraction on a generation and songs like “House of the Rising Sun” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” found their way into the rock vernacular. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. At the same time, Baez’s role in human rights and anti-war movements around the world has earned her another place in history, alongside friends and allies including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, the Irish Peace People, Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, and others. Today, the life and times of the iconic Baez are reflected in her “Mischief Makers” series of paintings that immortalize risk-taking visionaries, ranging from King and Bob Dylan to the Dalai Lama and Patti Smith.

BRIAN BANDELL is the real estate editor at the South Florida Business Journal. He is the author of The Rabbi and the Condemned (Silver Leaf Books) and three previous novels, Famous After Death, Mute, and Silence the Living. He has won more than 25 journalism awards, including first place for his reporting in business, real estate, and health care in Florida.

GERMANE BARNES is a designer in residence for the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation and senior lecturer and director of the Community, Housing & Identity Lab (CHIL) at the University of Miami School of Architecture. His research and design practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity, examining architecture's social and political agency through historical research and design speculation. He is part of a group of architects, designers, artists, and writers who have contributed to Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America (MoMA), a call for architects to reconceive and reconstruct the built environment, rather than continue giving shape to buildings, infrastructure, and urban plans that have embodied and sustained anti-Black racism in the United States. The book, which includes a broad range of essays by curators and prominent scholars from diverse fields, and a portfolio of new photographs by the artist David Hartt, is a "field guide" to the 2021 exhibition of the same name at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

MARTIN BARON, a longtime journalist and newspaper editor, ran the Miami Herald and The Boston Globe's newsrooms before being named The Washington Post’s executive editor in 2013. His role in launching an investigation of the Catholic Church's cover-up of sexual abuse by clergy was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie "Spotlight." Baron retired from daily journalism in early 2021. Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos and The Washington Post (Flatiron Books) is his first book.

DAVE BARRY is an author and humorist. In 1988, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated column, which ran in more than 500 newspapers and was the inspiration for the TV show Dave's World. Barry is also the author of dozens of bestsellers including, most recently, Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog; Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys, Dave Barry Turns Forty, and Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up. With Ridley Pearson, Barry wrote the bestselling Starcatchers series of young adult novels, one of which was adapted as the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Peter and the Starcatcher.

MAGELA BAUDOIN es una escritora, periodista y editora boliviana-venezolana, autora del libro de entrevistas Mujeres de Costado; de la novela El sonido de la H, Premio Nacional de Novela 2014 (Bolivia) que este año presenta en la Feria. También ha escrito el libro de cuentos La composición de la sal, Premio Hispanoamericano de Cuento Gabriel García Márquez (2015). Su último libro, Vendrá la muerte y tendrá tus ojos, fue finalista del VI Premio Ribera del Duero-Páginas de Espuma en España (2020). Su obra ha sido traducida al inglés, al portugués y al árabe. Recibió el premio Anna Seghers 2021. Dirige junto a Giovanna Rivero la Editorial Mantis, especializada en publicar la obra de escritoras hispanoamericanas.  

Escritor, político y comunicador peruano, aunque también con nacionalidad estadounidense, JAIME BAYLY es conocido por su trabajo para varias televisiones latinoamericanas, logrando grandes éxitos desde CBS y Telemundo. Bayly, además, desarrolló una carrera política a raíz de su vuelta a Perú para presentar el programa televisivo El francotirador. Sin embargo, la ambición de Bayly de ser elegido presidente fue mermada al no encontrar un partido establecido que le prestara su apoyo. En lo literario, Bayly comenzó su andadura literaria tras establecerse en EEUU, país en el que se instaló tras el golpe de estado de Fujimori. Gracias a la guía de Vargas Llosa, Bayly publicó No se lo digas a nadie en 1994, que fue llevada al cine cuatro años después. Sus novelas más conocidas son La noche es virgen (1997), ganadora del Premio Herralde y también Y de repente, un ángel (2005) que resultó finalista del Premio Planeta en 2005. Entre sus obras también se encuentran Pecho frío y Yo soy una señora. Este año llega a la Feria con Los genios (Galaxia Gutenberg, 2023), una novela que recrea con formidables bríos narrativos los años gloriosos en que García Márquez y Vargas Llosa fueron grandes amigos y explora, desde las licencias de la ficción, los secretos, las felonías, las delaciones y las iras volcánicas que dinamitaron estruendosamente esa amistad que parecía irrompible.

RICARDO BECERRA nació en Camagüey, Cuba, en 1980. Es actor y presentador, además de haber incursionado en la música y las artes plásticas. Con una carrera en ascenso, se ha convertido en uno de los rostros más reconocidos de la televisión en Miami al ser el carismático anfitrión del programa semanal Mi Abuela Cocina, ganándose el corazón de infinidad de personas que lo admiran su amor a la cocina y su sentido del humor, valores que lo convierten en un excelente comunicador. Este año llega a la Feria de Miami con Sabrosura. 100 recetas auténticas cubanas (Alexandria Library, 2023): un viaje a través de los sabores auténticos de la culinaria cubana que se perdieron por más de 60 años. En esta obra, Becerra rescata la cocina tradicional cubana que se fusionó con sabores de diversos países para ofrecer una experiencia única al paladar. Los lectores, y amantes de la buena comida, tendrán la oportunidad de descubrir una amplia variedad de platillos que van desde los más sencillos hasta los más elaborados, todos ellos con un toque distintivo que los hace únicos. Además de la descripción de ingredientes, el libro combina anécdotas y realiza un tributo especial a los abuelos que, con sus recetas, han sostenido alrededor de la mesa ese pilar que es la unión familiar.