Andrés Neuman

Andrés Neuman, born in Buenos Aires in 1977, has lived in the Andalusian city of Granada since the age of fourteen. He studied Spanish philology and taught Latin American literature at the university there. An author who feels at home in many genres, he published his award-winning collection of poems »Métodos de la noche« (1998; t: Methods of the night) just one year before his highly acclaimed début novel »Bariloche« (t: Bariloche) in 1999. The book tells the story of Demetrio, a garbage man in Buenos Aires who tries to escape his dismal routine with the help of nightly puzzles. The masterful use of different varieties of Spanish emphasizes the polyphonic character of the work. »Bariloche« was a finalist for the Premio Herralde and named one of the ten best books of the year by the Spanish newspaper »El Mundo«.

Neuman’s e-mail novel »La vida en las ventanas« (2002; t: Life in the window) was followed in 2003 by the partly autobiographical novel »Una vez Argentina« (t: Once Argentina), which was also a finalist for the Premio Herralde. Against the backdrop of political and social events in twentieth century Argentina, the young narrator Andrés unfurls the eventful history of his forefathers, who emigrated from different parts of the world to Argentina. Most recently, Neuman has published the novel »El viajero del siglo« (2009; t: The traveller of the century), which was awarded the prestigious Premio Alfaguara. In this work, Neuman brings nineteenth century (post-Napoleonic) Europe to life with a precise eye and linguistic brilliance. It not only recreates the old 19th century world, but it also re-writes the great tradition of the 19th century novel in a very contemporary mode. Thus, the novel establishes a literary and historical dialogue between both eras bridging the beginning of the 19th century and the beginning of the 21st century. The novel is set in the fictional town of Wandernburgo in Northern Germany. The protagonist, actually just travelling through, is placed under a mysterious spell by the town and its inhabitants, prolonging his stay indefinitely. Through a vote called by the Hay Festival, Neuman was selected among the most outstanding young Latin American authors and was included on the »Bogotá-39 list«.

The Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño wrote: »twenty-first century literature will belong to Neuman and a few of his blood brothers«. Neuman has a column in the literary supplements of the daily national newspapers »Abc« (Spain) and »Clarín« (Argentina). He lives in Granada.

© international literaturefestival berlin

Métodos de la noche,
Hiperión
Madrid, 1998

Bariloche
Anagrama
Barcelona, 1999

La vida en las ventanas
Espasa
Madrid, 2002

Una vez Argentina
Anagrama
Barcelona, 2003

Década (poesía 1997-2007)
Acantilado
Barcelona, 2008

El viajero del siglo
Alfaguara
Madrid, 2009