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Karina Sainz Borgo

カリナ・サインス・ボルゴ

Karina Sainz Borgo

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1982-01-01 （Caracas, Venezuela）
Nationality
Venezuela
Languages
Spanish
Residence History
Caracas (birthplace) → Spain (since 2006)

Career

Occupations
journalist, non-fiction writer, novelist
Active Years
2007-
Affiliations
Diario ABC (reporter/columnist)

Education

Andrés Bello Catholic University
Country: Venezuela
Attended before emigrating
Complutense University of Madrid
Degree: 修士
Period: 2006–2007
Year of Graduation: 2007
Country: Spain
Master's degree (completed 2007)
Universidad CEU San Pablo
Country: Spain

Awards

Grand Prix L'Héroïne (Madame Figaro)
2020
Work: It Would Be Night in Caracas (La hija de la española)
Category: 外国小説部門
Organization: Madame Figaro
Result: 受賞
Jan Michalski Prize
2023
Work: No Place to Bury the Dead (El Tercer País)
Organization: Fondation Jan Michalski
Result: 受賞
David Gistau Journalism Award
2023
Organization: David Gistau Award
Result: 受賞
O. Henry Prize
2021
Work: Short story "Scissors"
Organization: O. Henry Prize
Result: 受賞
LiBeraturpreis
2020
Work: It Would Be Night in Caracas (La hija de la española)
Organization: LiBeraturpreis
Result: ノミネート
Grand Continent Prize
2023
Work: La isla del Doctor Schubert
Organization: Le Grand Continent
Result: ファイナリスト
Europese Literatuurprijs
2021
Work: It Would Be Night in Caracas (La hija de la española)
Organization: Europese Literatuurprijs
Result: ロングリスト
Kulturhuset Stadsteatern Stockholm (finalist)
2021
Work: It Would Be Night in Caracas (La hija de la española)
Organization: Kulturhuset Stadsteatern
Result: ファイナリスト
Fnac Novel Prize (selection)
2023
Work: La isla del Doctor Schubert
Organization: Fnac
Result: 選考入り

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

It Would Be Night in Caracas (La hija de la española)

2019 novel

A debut novel that tells the story of a girl and her family trying to survive amid the turmoil and violence in Venezuela. Themes include exile, loss, and the collapse of the city.

migrationviolencelossurban collapse
Translations
  • Translated into more than twenty languages

No Place to Bury the Dead (El Tercer País)

2021 novel

A reinterpretation of the myth of Antigone that questions the human right to bury the dead. It centers on the ethics of burial and memory.

deathmourningjusticememory

La isla del Doctor Schubert

2023 fantasy

An inventive fantasy novel illustrated by Natàlia Pàmies, presenting an original imaginative world.

imaginationadventureisolation

Caracas hip-hop

2007 non-fiction

A non-fiction work reporting on Caracas's hip-hop culture and youth movements.

musicurban cultureyouth

Crónicas barbitúricas

2019 essays / non-fiction

A collection of chronicles recounting life and experiences in Madrid.

migrationeveryday lifeurban living

Bibliography

  • Caracas hip-hop (2007)
  • Tráfico y Guaire, el país y sus intelectuales (2007)
  • Crónicas barbitúricas (2019)
  • It Would Be Night in Caracas (La hija de la española) (2019)
  • No Place to Bury the Dead (El Tercer País) (2021)
  • La isla del Doctor Schubert (2023)

Translations of Works

  • La hija de la española has been translated into more than twenty languages
  • Works published in multiple languages (English, French, German, etc.)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
calm, descriptive proseblend of realism and allegorical expression
Recurring Motifs
exile / diasporaurban collapse and violencemourning and burial

Legacy

As a Venezuelan-born writer in exile, she has become a prominent voice in diaspora literature. Her works have been widely translated and awarded, marking her as an important contemporary voice in Latin American letters.

Quotes

  • "I don't know anything other than violence."
    Source: El País (interview, 2019) (2019)

Trivia

  • It Would Be Night in Caracas was included in Time's 100 notable books of 2019.
  • Her books have been reported translated into more than thirty languages (number varies by source).
  • Has lived in Spain since 2006.