Cathedrals

Born in Buenos Aires in 1960, Claudia Piñeiro is a best-selling author, known internationally for her novels that, while rooted in the crime genre, frequently address social issues. She has won numerous national and international prizes, including the Pepe Carvalho Prize, the LiBeraturpreis for Elena Knows and the prestigious Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize for Las grietas de Jara (A Crack in the Wall). Many of her novels have been adapted for the screen, including Elena Knows, Thursday Night Widows, and Time of the Flies . Piñeiro is the third most translated Argentinian author after Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar. She’s also a playwright and scriptwriter (including for popular Netflix series The Kingdom ). Her novel Elena Knows was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize.Frances Riddle has translated numerous Spanish-language authors including Isabel Allende, Claudia Piñeiro, Leila Guerriero, and Sara Gallardo. Her translation of Theatre of War by Andrea Jeftanovic was granted an English PEN Award in 2020. Her work has appeared in journals such as Granta, Electric Literature , and The White Review , among others. She holds a BA in Spanish Language Literature from Louisiana State University and an MA in Translation Studies from the University of Buenos Aires. In 2022, Frances’ translation of Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Originally from Houston, Texas she lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"Family ties, social prejudice, institutions and defiance of authority are just some of the themes Claudia Piñeiro addresses so masterfully." —Página/12"Cathedrals challenges us as a society. It obliges us to stop and think. The text demands that we discard our indifference." —Infobae"The plot is kept taut by its silences (…) The ever skilful Piñeiro appears to have invented a unique genre, the family crime novel, where everything stays in the home." —La Nación"A harrowing book that casts a revelatory light on the uncomfortable truth about clandestine abortions in Argentina." —El Mundo************Praise for Claudia Piñeiro'Cathedrals is a novel committed to the harshest situations that a woman can face due to hypocrisy and religious prejudice. With great literary richness, a variety of stylistic resources and a deep knowledge of the human condition, Piñeiro embroiders a web of contradictions and gray areas that reflect the reality of life.' JURY OF THE HAMMETT PRIZE (SPAIN) 2021