Yuri Herrera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuri Herrera
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Yuri Herrera in 2015.
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| Born | 1970 (age 54–55) Actopan, Hidalgo, Mexico
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| Alma mater | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Occupation | political scientist, editor, and contemporary writer |
| Awards | Premio Otras Voces, Otros Ámbitos |
Yuri Herrera, born in 1970, is a talented writer from Mexico. He is also a political scientist, which means he studies how governments and societies work. Besides writing, he works as an editor, helping other writers with their books. Currently, he teaches at Tulane University in New Orleans, USA.
Contents
About Yuri Herrera
Yuri Herrera went to college at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he studied Political Science. He then earned a master's degree in Creative Writing from the University of Texas, El Paso. Later, he got his Ph.D. in Hispanic Language and Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2009.
He also works as an editor for a literary magazine called El perro. He has been a special researcher at Tulane University.
His First Book
His first novel, Trabajos del reino (which means Works of the Kingdom), won an award in 2004 called the Premio Binacional de Novela Joven. This book was also published in Spain in 2008. There, it won another important award, the Premio Otras Voces, Otros Ámbitos. A group of 100 people, including editors and journalists, voted it the best fiction book published in Spain that year.
His Other Books
His second novel, Señales que precederán al fin del mundo (2009), became very popular. It was translated into English as Signs Preceding the End of the World in 2015. This book helped Yuri Herrera become known as one of the most important young Mexican writers. He has also written for magazines like Letras libres.
How He Writes
Yuri Herrera has a special way of writing. He once said that his writing style is not just about how words look on the page. For him, style is a way of understanding things.
Story Settings
One interesting thing about Herrera's books is how he uses places. For example, in his book Kingdom Cons, he used the city of Ciudad Juárez as a model. But he changed it to fit his story.
In his novel Signs Preceding the End of the World, he doesn't name any real cities. He wanted the story to be about more than just Mexican migration. Even though the places in the book might remind you of parts of Mexico and the border with the United States, he wanted the story to be bigger.
Inspirations
Yuri Herrera enjoys reading Don Quixote by Cervantes, a famous old Spanish book. He also uses ideas from ancient Aztec stories in his books, especially in Signs Preceding the End of the World.
Even though his books don't always name specific places, they often talk about important political ideas. He believes that literature can help people become more aware citizens.
Awards and Honors
Yuri Herrera has received several awards for his writing:
- 2015: His book Signs Preceding the End of the World was named one of the "Best Fiction of 2015" by The Guardian. It was also on NBC News' list of "Ten Great Latino Books."
- 2016: He won the Best Translated Book Award for Signs Preceding the End of the World.
- 2016: He received the Anna Seghers Prize.
- 2023: His book Ten Planets was a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize.
See also
In Spanish: Yuri Herrera para niños
