Yuri Herrera

Yuri Herrera is a Mexican writer, political scientist, and editor, and he is best known for his speculative and politically charged novels. His works, including Signs Preceding the End of the World (2009) and the historical novel Season of the Swamp (2024), have won him awards such as the Best Translated Book Award (2016) and the Anna Seghers Prize (2016). He currently teaches at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Yuri Herrera was born in Actopan, Mexico, and studied political science at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He later completed an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Texas, El Paso, and a PhD in Hispanic Language and Literature at the University of California, Berkeley (2009). His academic background, combined with his editorial work for the literary magazine El perro, helped to establish his career as a writer who combines culture, politics and myth.

His debut novel Trabajos del reino (2004) won the Premio Binacional de Novela Joven and the Premio Otras Voces, Otros Ámbitos when published in Spain (2008). Elena Poniatowska described his prose as "breathtaking", while critics praised his ability to combine high culture with colloquial expression. His second novel, Signs Preceding the End of the World (2009), translated by Lisa Dillman in 2015, cemented his reputation as one of the leading voices in contemporary Mexican literature.

The novel explores physical, cultural and existential border crossings through a sparse, lyrical narrative. Herrera has said of his style: "Style isn't superficiality; style is a form of knowledge.

Season of the Swamp (2024), his most recent work, represents a significant evolution in Herrera's craft. Set in 1853, it follows Benito Juárez during his exile in New Orleans, a period often glossed over in historical accounts. The novel imagines Juárez walking the city streets, engaging in revolutionary plots and encountering its stark contrasts — violence and creativity, despair and resilience.

Herrera blends meticulous research, including archival newspaper accounts, with speculative elements to fill the gaps in Juárez's life. "It's not just about Juárez or New Orleans," Herrera said in an interview, "it's also about me and the ghosts of this city.

Herrera's work often explores marginalised voices, mythological frameworks and the intersection of history and imagination. In Season of the Swamp, New Orleans becomes both a symbol of reinvention and a character in its own right, embodying hope amidst oppression.

The book's evocative portrayal of the city, from its chaotic criminal underbelly to its vibrant cultural resilience, has been hailed as a poignant meditation on survival and transformation.

Herrera divides his time between New Orleans and Mexico, often returning to his native country.