Son of a dreamer and a primary school teacher, Álvarez has combined his love of books with real-life & literary adventures. He worked in advertising, film & TV before eventually writing 'La Lectora', his first novel. Published by RBA and Alfaguara, it won the Silverio Cañada prize during Semana Negra festival in Gijón, translation rights were sold in several languages, and a film version is in production. He then spent 10 years travelling, writing and doing research for '35Muertos', a novel that tells the story of Colombia's last few decades through a vast number of stories and characters. A powerful book written with dazzling language, which in its unfinished state has already been acquired by several European publishing houses. In between 'La Lectora' and '35Muertos' he wrote 'Mapaná' (Alfagura Colombia), an unusual children's book. A real 21st century Horacio Quiroga.