Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel

Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel
Born	(1974-01-16) January 16, 1974 Málaga, Spain
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	Spanish

Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel (born 1974, in Málaga, Spain) is a Spanish writer. He is renowned in his native country for being one of the greatest short-story writers of his generation and winner of an enormous number of awards proving that very thing. Currently he is well known for his novel The hypochondriac hitman.

Biography

Muñoz Rengel obtained his doctorate in Philosophy, and has taught in both Spain and the UK.

He is the author of the novels The Hypochondriac Hitman (Penguin Random House, 2012) and The Other’s Dream (Penguin Random House, 2013), as well as the short stories collections 88 Mill Lane (2006), De mecánica y alquimia (2009), Ignotus Best Short Story Collection Award, and El libro de los pequeños milagros (2013). He was named one of the most promising Spanish writers of his generation and his work has appeared in main anthologies including Pequeñas resistencias (Ed. Andrés Neuman, 2010), Siglo XXI (2010) and Cuento español actual (2014).

Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel is also a frequent contributor to the Spanish newspaper El País and staff member of Spanish National Radio. In addition, he teaches creative writing at the Writer's Center Fuentetaja in Madrid.

He was finalist of the Clarín Alfaguara Novel Award, Argentina's most prestigious international literary prize, of which José Saramago was president of the jury, for the novel The hypochondriac hitman.

Works

His first book, 88 Mill Lane, is a selection of fantasy stories set in London. While his second short stories book, De mecánica y alquimia, Premio Ignotus Best Short Story Collection Award and finalist in the Setenil Prize for best short story book, extends its settings to all Europe, from the 11th century to the next future. He won twice the La Felguera Stories Competition, one of the most important awards in the Spanish language.

He has also coordinated and prefaced the short stories anthologies La realidad quebradiza, Perturbaciones and Ficción Sur.

His successful novel The hypochondriac hitman is a crime fiction parody, with appearances of Poe, Proust, Voltaire, Tolstoy, Molière, and all the other famous hypochondriacs in the history of literature and philosophy. Critic says: «Hilarious. Irresistible», Paris Match (France), «The Hypochondriac Hitman is much more than just a simple crime novel, it’s a true lesson in philosophy», El Mundo (Spain), «With his novel Muñoz Rengel gives us a murderer whose killing it is possible to enjoy», Corriere della Sera (Italy), «Muñoz Rengel sign a delightful black comedy», Livres-Hebdo (France), «A very remarkable comedy», Qué Leer (Spain). It is a best-seller in Spain and the publication rights have been sold in over 10 countries, including France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Turkey, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

Bibliography

• El sueño del otro, Penguin Random House, 2014, ISBN 978-84-9032-709-8.
• The hypochondriac hitman, Penguin Random House, 2012, ISBN 978-84-01-35225-6 (1st edition 19 January 2012; 2nd edition 10 February 2012; 3rd edition 20 March 2012; 4th edition 18 April 2012; 5th edition January 2013; 6th edition March 2013; 7th edition April 2013). Unpublished in English.
• El libro de los pequeños milagros, Páginas de Espuma, 2013, ISBN 978-84-8393-146-2.
• De mecánica y alquimia, Salto de Página Editors, 2009, ISBN 978-84-936354-9-7.
• 88 Mill Lane [1], Alhulia Editors, 2005, ISBN 978-84-96083-85-1.
• La realidad quebradiza (Anthology; Ed. by Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel), Páginas de Espuma, 2012, ISBN 978-84-8393-099-1.
• Perturbaciones (Anthology; Ed. by Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel), Salto de Página Editors, 2009, ISBN 978-84-936354-6-6.
• Ficción sur (Anthology; Ed. by Juan Jacinto Muñoz Rengel), Traspiés Editors, 2008, ISBN 978-84-935427-6-4.

External links

• The hypochondriac hitman (official site)