Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel

Juan Jacinto Muñoz-Rengel (Málaga, January 16, 1974) is a Spanish philosopher and writer, author of renowned novels such as The Great Imaginator or The hypochondriacal murderer, and one of the undisputed names of contemporary stories in Spanish.

His work has been reviewed in media such as The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, Charlie Hebdo, Paris Match, L'Humanité, Corriere della Sera or El País. He was winner of the Leonardo Scholarship from the BBVA Foundation. His work has been published in more than thirty countries.

Biography

He completed a doctorate in Philosophy and has taught both in Spain and the United Kingdom. In 1998 she founded the philosophy and literary theory magazine Estigma in Malaga. From 2007 to 2011 she directed the program Literature in Brief on Radio 5 in Madrid, and later hosted the story section on El Ojo Critica on Radio Nacional de España. She has collaborated in publications such as Anthropos , Ínsula , Clarín or the newspaper El País, among others. In 2019 she founded the Escuela de Imaginadores in the center of Madrid, an author's workshop that recovers the concept of true literary cuisine.

He is the author of the essay A history of lying (Alianza, 2020), of the novels Mr. Königsberg's ability to love (Alianza de Novelas, 2021), The Great Imaginator (Plaza & Janés, 2016; Award for Best Novel of the Year at the Celsius Festival), The Dream of the Other (Plaza & Janés, 2013; DeBolsillo, 2014) and The Hypochondriacal Assassin (Plaza & Janés, 2012; DeBolsillo, 2013; Finalist for the Festival du premier roman de Chambéry-Savoie Award; Finalist for the Mandarache Award), from the short story book The book of small miracles (Páginas de Espuma, 2013), of the long stories Collapso (PRH Flash, 2017) and Pink (PRH Flash, 2012), and the short story books De mechanics and alchemy (Salto de Página, 2009; Ignotus Award for best anthology in 2010) and 88 Mill Lane (Alhulia, 2006). Likewise, he has coordinated and prefaced the short narrative anthologies La Verdad quebradiza (Páginas de Espuma, 2012), Perturbaciones (Salto de Página, 2009) and Ficción Sur (Traspiés, 2008).

His stories have been included in the three reference anthologies of his generation, Actual Spanish Story (Editorial Cátedra), Pequeñas Resistencias (Páginas de Espuma) and 21st century (Menoscuarto). His career as a short story author has been endorsed by more than fifty national and international awards, among which are the most relevant of the genre in the Spanish language, among them the Fernando Quiñones, the Julio Cortázar of Cuba, the Miguel de Unamuno, the Short Story Prize to Read on the Bus, the Young Creators Prize of Madrid or, on two occasions, the La Felguera International Short Story Prize, the oldest competition in its category in Spain.

His work has been translated into English, French, Italian, Finnish, Romanian, Greek, Turkish, Arabic and Russian, and published in more than thirty countries.

Work

During his years in London, the author wrote what would be his first published book of short stories, 88 Mill Lane (Alhulia, 2005), a selection of fantastic stories that take place in the capital. British, in a time span that spans from the Victorian era to the present day, and with a prologue by the Argentine writer Pablo De Santis.

His second book of short stories, De mechanica y alquimia (Salto de Página, 2009), Ignotus award for best anthology in 2010, was also a finalist for the Setenil Award for best book of short stories and a finalist of the Xatafi-Cyberdark Award for best fiction book. This book expands on the motifs and settings of the first, covering different European cities in a period of time that goes from the Toledo taifa of the 11th century< /span> to a distant and apocalyptic future.

The novel The Hypochondriac Assassin, published in 2012 by the Penguin Random House group under the Plaza & Janés and DeBolsillo, was a Finalist for the Festival du premier roman de Chambéry-Savoie Award and a Finalist for the Mandarache Award, had an excellent reception from critics and readers, has reached its 8th edition in Spain and has been published in another dozen countries, among them, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Turkey, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Finland or the Arab Countries. It has been said about her: «With The Hippochondriac Assassin the Spanish Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel achieved a spectacular entry into the world of crime novels. Hilarious and irresistible!", Paris Match; "Muñoz Rengel gives us with his novel a murderer whose murder is possible to enjoy", Corriere della Sera; "A fascinating (fast, unusual) crime novel that is at the same time an ode to the loser and a unique meta-literary exercise without equal, which, because it is so delicious, the reader would like it to never end", El Cultural; «A brilliant, delicious, fun, hilarious, shocking and more than probably pathological novel. It has been years since I read a novel as hilarious as The Hypochondriacal Assassin», Fernando Iwasaki, ABC; «Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel writes a rejoicing black comedy. Who said that you should not make fun of the misery of others? », Livres Hebdo ; «The talent of Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel is his rich imagination », L & # 39; Humanité .

From the novel The Dream of the Other, published in 2013 by the Penguin Random House group, on the Plaza & Janés and DeBolsillo, it has been said: "One of the most exciting readings of this beginning of 2013. The Dream of the Other is a mature, referential work." Ricard Ruiz Garzón, El Periódico; «Muñoz Rengel once again hooks readers with an original novel that leaves no one indifferent», El Mundo; «With good narrative pulse and stylistic efficiency, the novel becomes disturbing and distressing, qualities intensified by its growing suspense", Ángel Basanta, El Cultural; "Intense, critical and surprising, the plot captivates from the first pages », El Popular (Argentina);

From the collection of micro-stories The book of small miracles (Páginas de Espuma, 2013) it has been said: «Muñoz Rengel has plenty of imagination», Lluis Satorras, Babelia, El País, «Pure Muñoz Rengel, although always changing his skin, like a strange dissatisfied creature that changes as a form of reinvention», El Mundo; « Restless, mischievous, playful", ABC; "A look capable of suggesting to us the monstrosity that is hidden behind the appearance. An excellent book, which sets limits in many aspects", José María Merino, Leer Magazine; "Each of these micro-stories has an experimental character. It borders on metaphor and the prose is impeccable", Ricardo Senabre, El Cultural; "A glossary of minimal, deep, almost abyssal stories", Javier Ors, La Razón.

In July 2017, his novel The Great Imaginator (Plaza & Janés, 2016) won the Best Novel of the Year Award at the Celsius Festival, after being among the finalists of the Andalusia Critics Award. It has been said about this book: «Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel surprises with The Great Imaginator, a novel full of fantasy, humor and literary tributes», Babelia, The Country; «They will not be able to help but surrender before the magnitude of a colossal narrative», Pilar Castro, El Cultural; «Now, thanks to the exciting reading of this novel by Muñoz Rengel, we know much more. The great imaginer is the proto-writer of modernity", Juan Francisco Ferré, Diario Sur; "A total novel. With an argument that would have pleased, I suspect, Borges", Vicente Araguas, READ; "Popoulos is a Funes who imagines everything", EÑE; «Muñoz Rengel has challenged himself to build a novel with a classic Russian feel to pay tribute to the very idea of the story», Laura Fernández, Fantifica.

His essay A history of lying (Alianza, 2020) has been translated and published in the US, the United Kingdom, Arab Countries and Romania. It has been said about him: "The novelist Juan Jacinto Muñoz-Rengel argues that lying is not, as conventional morality might have us assume, a practice to be avoided whenever possible but, rather, an innate and inevitable element of language and life", THE NEW YORKER; «Science lies habitually; so do religions; so do art and literature – not just aberrantly but pervasively and necessarily», THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT; «Revelatory: we lie, yes, but often we do it to help each other. Muñoz-Rengel convincingly shows us that falseness 'is the clearest sign of intelligence', and should be appreciated as a tool for enabling people to understand reality”, The New Statesman; «Provoking, entertaining and surprising. A frothy, glittering meditation on the nature of human being”, THE AUSTRALIAN; «I was dazzled and exhilarated by this playful philosophical tour-de-force», The Sidney Morning Herald; «The new book by Juan Jacinto Muñoz-Rengel delves into a journey through time to find the origin of lies and its relationship with human nature», El País; «A truly timely book, necessary", Toni Montesinos, La Razón; "It reveals to us that lies are everywhere where there is life" La Vanguardia; "I lie therefore I am. An uncomfortable idea, but one that allows us to dissect the great stories that we have created to survive in this world", ABC; "For Muñoz-Rengel everything is a lie, but there are lies and lies", Público; «The most debated essay of the pandemic year», Eldiario.es.

Anthologies

As an expert in short stories, Muñoz-Rengel has coordinated and prefaced the following volumes:

• Fiction South. Anthology of Andalusian cuentists (Traspiés, 2008). An anthology of the most representative Andalusian quadrists of the present day, including authors such as Hipólito G. Navarro, Fernando Iwasaki, Juan Bonilla or Andrés Neuman and a good number of then emerging chroniclers, such as Lara Moreno or Cristina García Morales.

• Disturbing. Anthology of the current Spanish fantastic story (Plate, 2009). An anthology of the last Spanish fantastic narrative, which brings together all the writers who have worked the genre in a wide way in their work, drawing a panorama that goes from José María Merino, Cristina Fernández Cubas or Ángel Olgoso, to young authors such as Félix J. Palma, Jon Bilbao or Patricia Esteban Erlés.

• The broken reality. Anthology of stories by José María Merino (Pages of Espuma, 2012). An anthology of the most outstanding accounts of the work of the veteran writer and storyteller José María Merino, National Prize for Critics in 1986 and a language scholar.

Bibliography about the author

Books

Prizes

• Award for the Best Novel in Spanish 2017 of the Celsius Festival, by The great fan.
• Finalista del Premio Andalucía de la Crítica 2016, por The great fan.
• Leonardo de la Fundación BBVA 2014, by The great fan.
• Novela Mandarache Award Finalist 2013, for The hypochondriac killer.
• Finalist of the Festival du premier roman award by Chambéry-Savoie (France) 2012, by The hypochondriac killer.
• Ignotus Award for Best Anthology 2010, by Mechanics and alchemy.
• Finalist of the 2010 Setenil Award for the best storybook of the year, by Mechanics and alchemy.
• Xatafi 2010 Award for the best fantastic story of the year (including in Mechanics and alchemy).
• La Felguera International Talent Award, on two occasions.
• Finalist of the Novela Alfaguara Clarín Award (Argentina) 2009, by The hypochondriac killer.
• National Marbella City Award 2007.
• National Young Creators Award of Madrid 2007.
• Breve City of Arévalo (Ávila) 2006 Award for The Curse of Grünenwald.
• Finalist of the Premio Internacional Mario Vargas Llosa de Novela 2005.
• International Prize for Reading in the Bus 2005.
• Premio Nacional Ateneo de Córdoba 2005.
• International Prize Miguel de Unamuno 2004.
• International Prize Julio Cortázar (Cuba) 2004.
• National Prize Fernando Quiñones 2003.
• Malaga City Award 1999.