Manuel Ballagas

Born in Havana, the son of one of Cuba's greatest poets, Ballagas started writing at a very early age. He published his first short story at 15 in Casa de las Americas magazine, one of Latin America's most important literary publications. His first book of stories, Con temor, was going to print in the 60's when Fidel Castro ordered the publishing house closed. For several years, Ballagas worked as a film critic for Cuban radio, until his arrest under charges of "ideological diversionism". He later sought asylum with his family in a foreign embassy and immigrated to the United States in 1980.

In America, Ballagas retook his journalistic career and in 2009, after years of work in The Miami Herald, The Wall Street Journal and The Tampa Tribune, he devoted himself almost entirely to writing. He currently lives in Miami, where he works as a translator and consultant. He has published Newcomer, a memoir of his experiences as an immigrant, Despierta cuando te mueras, a novel, and most recently, the work of fiction Pájaro de cuenta, as well as Malas lenguas, a collection of short stories.

Ballagas' works have been published in the magazines Union, Gaceta de Cuba, Linden Lane, Unveiling, Escandalar, Termino, Revista Hispano Cubana, Mariel and Sinalefa. His opinion columns have run in El Nuevo Herald, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Washington Times, Orlando Sun Sentinel and the Madrid daily El Mundo. He has been translated into English, French, Polish and German.