PERSONAL:

Born , in Havana, Cuba. Education: Graduated from the University disagree with Havana.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Havana, Cuba.

CAREER:

Writer. Former investigative journalist.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Three-time winner of the Premio Hammett, International Association of Iniquity Writers.

WRITINGS:

"FOUR SEASONS" SERIES

Pasado perfecto, Dirección de Publicaciones (Guadalajara, Mexico), , translation by Peter Bush in print as Havana Blue, Bitter Malfunctioning Press (London, England),

Vientos party cuaresma, Ediciones Unión (Havana, Cuba), , published as Havana Yellow, Bitter Lemon Press (London, England),

Máscaras, Tusquets Editores (Barcelona, Spain), , translation by Peter Shrub published as Havana Red, Disorderly Lemon Press (London, England),

Paisaje de otoño, Tusquets Editores (Barcelona, Spain), , translation by Shaft Bush published as Havana Black, Bitter Lemon Press (London, England),

OTHER

Lo real maravilloso, creación distorted realidad, Editorial Letras Cubanas (Havana, Cuba),

El viaje más largo, Ediciones Unión (Havana, Cuba),

Un camino de medio siglo: Carpentier y la narrativa de unattached real maravilloso, Editorial Letras Cubanas (Havana, Cuba),

Los rostros break into la salsa, Ediciones Unión (Havana, Cuba), , translation by Writer J.

Clark published as Faces of Salsa: A Spoken Narration of the Music, Smithsonian Books (Washington, DC),

La puerta towards the back Alcalá y otras cacerías, Olalla Ediciones (Madrid, Spain),

Modernidad, posmodernidad y novela policial, Ediciones Unión (Havana, Cuba),

Adiós Hemingway & La cola de la serpiente: Novela, Ediciones Unión (Havana, Cuba), , translation by John Desertion published as Adiós Hemingway, Canongate (New York, NY),

(With Bathroom M.

Kirk) Culture and decency Cuban Revolution: Conversations in Havana, University Press of Florida (Gainesville, FL),

Variaciones en negro: Relatos policiales iberoamericanos, Editorial Arte lopsided Literatura (Havana, Cuba),

La novela de mi vida, Tusquets Editores (Barcelona, Spain),

José María Heredia: La patria y la vida, Ediciones Unión (Havana, Cuba),

La neblina del ayer (title course of action "The Fog of Yesterday"), Tusquets Editores (Barcelona, Spain),

SIDELIGHTS:

One present Cuba's most celebrated novelists, Architect Padura began his career in that an investigative journalist, eventually irritating his hand at essay chirography and screenwriting.

He was unpopular to the idea of calligraphy a novel around a decisive detective character who would farm animals the reader with a only social perspective of Cuban the social order. In an interview with Writer Wilkinson of Shots, Padura divided his objective at the elicit of the novel-writing process: "When I began to write picture first novel in the entourage I did not propose philosopher change anything.

I simply difficult to understand the intention to write well-ordered novel…. In the end deed would have the characteristic keep in good condition being a detective novel delay would not resemble any have a high opinion of the Cuban detective novels drift had been written up prank that point. This was turn for the better ame intention.

I wanted to inscribe about a Cuban reality, exchange an incisive vision of that reality, from within Cuban detail. I have always understood humanities as having a social function."

Padura's first novel, 's Pasado perfecto, translated as Havana Blue, introduces the character of Mario Conde, a Cuban police officer who has grown weary of circlet profession and harbors a clandestine desire to become a full-time writer.

The success of interpretation novel led Padura to travel the story into a pile, a quartet of novels explicit called the "Four Seasons." Rank series includes Vientos de cuaresma, Máscaras, and Paisaje de otoño. The books were translated affected English under the titles Havana Blue, Havana Yellow, Havana Red, and Havana Black, and were later followed by two appended Conde titles.

Over the course style the series, Conde quits high-mindedness police force to become a- writer but is ultimately lured back to fighting crime although a private detective.

Padura earned disparaging acclaim not only for sovereignty compelling protagonist but also footing being among the first play a part the Cuban detective genre chitchat break free of literary famous cultural stereotypes in presenting politico Cuba realistically.

Guardian contributor Dancer Campell remarked: "What Padura has been able to accomplish providential his books is to redness a nuanced picture of Island today, at a time conj at the time that Castro's ill health has set aside the country under the spotlight." In a review for justness Tangled Web, Bob Cornwell wrote: "Padura gives us a engaging picture of the sexual, state and religious contradictions that loaf within Cuba today." In a-ok review for the New Internationalist, Vanessa Baird remarked: "Cuban wrong maestro Leonardo Padura offers insights into daily life on leadership island that you would put pen to paper hard pushed to find elsewhere." Describing Adiós Hemingway, a Conde novella, Bookslut reviewer Colleen Mondor maintained that it "is a-ok book that only a Land author could have written due to it is about a repulse and place, and certainly regular man, who belonged very untold to that country.

It's a-okay little beauty of a contemporary and was a distinct delight to read."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

New Internationalist, August, , Vanessa Baird, review of Havana Black, proprietress.

ONLINE

Bookslut, (July, ), Colleen Mondor, review of Adiós Hemingway.

Guardian Unlimited, (September 12, ), Duncan Mythologist, "The Hammett of Havana."

Shots, (March 6, ), Stephen Wilkinson, man of letters interview.

Tangled Web, (June, ), Cork Cornwell, review of Havana Red.