Carolina De Robertis is a renowned Uruguayan-American author, celebrated for her works of historical fiction, literature, and fiction. She has written three novels and a non-fiction book, Radical Hope, and is currently working on her fourth novel. De Robertis is also a lecturer at San Francisco State University, where she teaches creative writing.
Born in England, De Robertis moved around frequently in her childhood, living in Switzerland before finally settling in Los Angeles, California. Her upbringing in a Uruguayan family that immigrated to various parts of the world would later become a significant influence in her writing. De Robertis attended the University of California in Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature. She furthered her education by receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Mills College.
De Robertis has received critical acclaim for her work, including being the recipient of Italy’s Rhegium Julii Prize, and being named a Best Book of 2009 by the San Francisco Chronicle, O, The Oprah Magazine, and BookList. Her novel, The Invisible Mountain, was an international bestseller, translated into fifteen languages. She has also been awarded a 2012 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Prior to completing her first book, De Robertis worked in women’s rights organizations for ten years, advocating for issues ranging from rape to immigration. This experience has informed her writing, which often touches on themes of social justice and human rights. De Robertis currently resides in Oakland, California, where she continues to write and teach. Her forthcoming novel, which explores migration, sexual frontiers, and the tango’s Old Guard in early twentieth century South America, promises to be another compelling addition to her body of work.