Michael Nava

Michael Nava is a former lawyer and author, best known for his Henry Rios Mysteries series. These novels feature Henry Rios, an openly gay criminal defense attorney, and have earned Nava critical acclaim in both the Latino and LGBT communities. Nava's work has been recognized with six Lambda Literary Awards and the Bill Whitehead Lifetime Achievement Award for gay and lesbian literature.

Growing up in a working-class Mexican neighborhood in Sacramento, California, Nava became interested in writing at the age of 12, the same time he realized he was gay. He pursued his passion for writing while majoring in history at Colorado College, where he developed his skills alongside fellow students such as humorist and writer David Owen and poet David Mason. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1976, Nava received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which allowed him to spend time in Madrid and Buenos Aires translating the works of Ruben Dario. He later attended Stanford Law School, where he earned a law degree in 1981. Nava subsequently worked for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and served as a judicial attorney for Justice Carlos R. Moreno at the Supreme Court.

In addition to the Henry Rios Mysteries series, Nava has written a historical novel, The City of Palaces, set in Mexico during the early stages of the 1910 Mexican Revolution. This novel is the first in a planned trilogy. Nava's commitment to writing and his dedication to accurately representing the experiences of marginalized communities have solidified his reputation as a skilled and influential author.