Stonewall Book Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 43 (2016) Winner
-
Edition 47 (2020) Winner
Caro De Robertis
カロ・デ・ロベリス
Caro De Robertis
Pen Names:
Caro De Robertis（Pen name used professionally for publications and public activities）
Profile
- Gender
- Unknown
- Born
- England
- Nationality
- United States, Uruguay
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Residence History
- England (birth) → Basel (childhood) → Los Angeles → Oakland, California (current)
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Translator, Professor of Creative Writing, Editor
- Active Years
- 2007-
- Affiliations
- San Francisco State University (Professor)
- Influenced By
- Pablo Neruda (translated work and literary influence), Uruguayan history and politics (influence on thematic concerns)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles | — | English Literature | BA | — | United States |
| Mills College at Northeastern University | — | Creative Writing (MFA) | MFA | — | United States |
University of California, Los Angeles
English Literature
Degree:
BA
Year of Graduation:
1996
Country:
United States
Mills College at Northeastern University
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree:
MFA
Year of Graduation:
2007
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rhegium Julii Debut Prize | The Invisible Mountain | Debut | Rhegium Julii (Italian literary prize) | Won |
| 2016 | Stonewall Book Award (Barbara Gittings Literature Award) | The Gods of Tango | Barbara Gittings Literature Award | American Library Association (ALA) | Won |
| 2019 | Reading Women Award | Cantoras | Fiction | Reading Women | Won |
| 2020 | Lambda Literary Awards (Finalist) | Cantoras | Lesbian Fiction | Lambda Literary | Finalist |
| 2022 | PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (Finalist) | The President and the Frog | — | PEN/Faulkner Foundation | Finalist |
| 2021 | PEN/Jean Stein Book Award (Longlisted) | The President and the Frog | — | PEN America | Longlisted |
| 2022 | Dos Passos Prize | — | — | Dos Passos Prize (awarding body) | Won |
| 2012 | National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | Awarded |
Rhegium Julii Debut Prize
2010
Work:
The Invisible Mountain
Category:
Debut
Organization:
Rhegium Julii (Italian literary prize)
Result:
Won
Stonewall Book Award (Barbara Gittings Literature Award)
2016
Work:
The Gods of Tango
Category:
Barbara Gittings Literature Award
Organization:
American Library Association (ALA)
Result:
Won
Reading Women Award
2019
Work:
Cantoras
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Reading Women
Result:
Won
Lambda Literary Awards (Finalist)
2020
Work:
Cantoras
Category:
Lesbian Fiction
Organization:
Lambda Literary
Result:
Finalist
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (Finalist)
2022
Work:
The President and the Frog
Organization:
PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Result:
Finalist
PEN/Jean Stein Book Award (Longlisted)
2021
Work:
The President and the Frog
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Longlisted
Dos Passos Prize
2022
Organization:
Dos Passos Prize (awarding body)
Result:
Won
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
2012
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
Awarded
Awards & Nominations
John Dos Passos Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2022) Winner
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 42 (2022) Nominee
Works
Major Works
The Invisible Mountain
2009 Historical fiction / Family sagaA multi-generational family saga exploring immigration, memory, and identity through historical narrative and intimate portraits of its characters.
ImmigrationFamilyMemory
Perla
2012 Historical novel / Literary fictionA novel that weaves personal narratives with historical backdrops, focusing on relationships and self-discovery.
Self-discoveryHistory
The Gods of Tango
2015 Historical fiction / Music-centered fictionSet against the world of tango and immigration, the novel examines gender, identity, love, and the struggles of artists.
MusicGenderImmigration
Cantoras
2019 Historical fiction / Queer literatureSet in 1970s Uruguay, the novel follows five lesbian protagonists, exploring friendship, resistance, and solidarity under an oppressive regime.
Queer identityFriendshipResistance
The President and the Frog
2021 Political fiction / Contemporary novelA politically inflected novel that asks readers to consider the weight of political action; the fictional president is influenced by José Mujica.
PoliticsMoralityAction
The Palace of Eros
2024 Contemporary novel / Mythic elementsA novel blending mythic elements with contemporary themes.
MythDesire
So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color
2025 Nonfiction / Oral historyAn oral history compiling the experiences of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit people of color.
Trans experiencesCommunityCivil rights
Bibliography
- The Invisible Mountain (2009)
- Perla (2012)
- The Gods of Tango (2015)
- Radical Hope (editor, 2017)
- Cantoras (2019)
- The President and the Frog (2021)
- The Palace of Eros (2024)
- So Many Stars (2025)
Translations by Author
- Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra (translation)
- The Neruda Case by Roberto Ampuero (translation)
- Translated short work by Gabriela Wiener (2007)
- Translated short work by Diego Trelles Paz
Translations of Works
- The Invisible Mountain (translated into 17 languages including Italian, Spanish, German)
- Cantoras (translated into multiple languages)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical, detailed proseInterweaving of historical and personal narrativesMulti-voiced narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- Immigration and bordersMemory and generationsSexual and gender identity
Legacy
De Robertis is internationally recognized for work that intersects Latin American history, queer identity, and translation. They have received major literary awards and nominations and exert influence as an educator.
Quotes
-
“They actually dug in their heels and tried to turn my siblings against my first child when I was pregnant with the first child. I use that example to say, it's not true that everybody comes around.”
Source: The Advocate (interview) (2021)
Trivia
- Uses they/them pronouns.
- Born in England to Uruguayan parents and moved internationally during childhood.
- Edited the anthology Radical Hope (2017), which includes essays by writers such as Junot Díaz and Jane Smiley.