Sergio Ramírez is currently the most important fiction writer of Nicaragua, for the quality of his prose as well as for his political visibility. His three published novels are examples of his ability to construct highly structured plots with interesting, well-rounded characters that are both entertaining and significant. Polyphonic and fragmentary, his novels are not easy to read, demanding an attentive and active reader. His short stories are compact, tightly structured, elegantly written, and effective, making him one of the best practitioners of the genre in Nicaragua. While his narratives often deal with everyday life and events, he manages to give them literary quality and aesthetic value.

Sergio Ramírez Mercado was born in Masatepe, a small town in the province of Masaya, Nicaragua. His father, Pedro Ramírez Gutiérrez, was a small farmer and local politician, and his mother, Luisa Mercado...