Daniel Mella

Daniel Mella (Montevideo, Uruguay, 1976) is one of the key figures in contemporary Latin American literature. He published his first novel Pogo (Mosh, 1997) at the age of 21, followed by Derretimiento (Melt, 1998. Both books were lauded by critics and quickly gained Mella the reputation of a cult writer, with his unique take on violence and moral decline. He cemented his place on the literary scene with his third novel, Noviembre (November, 2000). After a decade without writing, Mella returned with Lava (2013), a collection of short stories for which he was awarded the Bartolomé Hidalgo Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in Uruguay. Older Brother appeared in 2017, garnering jubilant press internationally and winning Mella the Bartolomé Hidalgo Prize for the second time. It is his first book to be translated into English.