Marta Rivera de la Cruz (Lugo, 1970) graduated in Information Sciences and is a specialist in Political Communication at the Universidad Complutense. In 1998 she was awarded the Ateneo de Sevilla prize for Young Novelists for Que veinte años no es nada (Twenty Years Is Nothing), which ran to 5 editions. In 2006 she was shortlisted for the Premio Planeta with En tiempo de prodigos (In the Days of Wonders). Her last novel, La importancia de las cosas (The Importance of Things), was warmly received by readers. She has also written three collections of essays, two children's books and has published short stories and articles in a variety of compilations. She edited the anthology Cuentos de Navidad (Christmas Stories) and the latest edition of La ciudad de las columnas (The City of Columns) by Alejo Carpentier. Marta Rivera de la Cruz is a regular contributor to El País Semanal and also participates in various radio and television talk shows.