Belén Gopegui (Madrid, 1963) is one of the most prominent authors on the Spanish literary landscape in the last twenty years.She graduated in Law from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid but soon abandoned the idea of becoming a lawyer in favour of literary work, writing for various newspapers. In 1993 she published her first novel, The Scale of Maps, which received tremendous acclaim from critics and readers alike. Her writing is characterised by its attention to language and its unflinching eye for the reality of our lives, often asking readers to consider their place and their engagement with the society of which they form a part. Belén Gopegui is the author of novels, plays and young people's fiction, and several of her books have been adapted for cinema.