Born in Barcelona, Laura Martinez-Belli has lived in Mexico, Panama, and Madrid. Her debut novel, Por si no te vuelvo a ver, was a bestseller in Mexico. She is also the author of El ladron de calices; Las dos vidas de Floria, which was translated into Italian with great success; and La ultima pagina, which was shortlisted for the Premio Letras Nuevas de Novela in 2013. Martinez-Belli has taught creative writing in universities and cultural institutions and has been a columnist for several print media outlets in Latin America. Currently, she runs writing workshops at the School of Writers (Escuela de Escritores) in Madrid, where she resides. The Empress (Carlota, in the Spanish original) is her first novel to be published in English.
