Sergio Pitol (1933-2018) was a Mexican author, translator, and diplomat. Pitol studied law and literature at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In 1960, he joined the Mexican Foreign Service, serving as a cultural attaché in cities such as Rome, Belgrade, Warsaw, Paris, Beijing, Moscow, Prague, Budapest, and Barcelona. His works include novels, short stories, and essays, such as Married Life (1991) and El arte de la fuga (1996). He is considered one of Mexico’s most important writers, winning the Cervantes Prize in 2005, the most esteemed literary prize in Hispanophone literature. G.B. Henson is a professor and translator of Spanish literature. His translations include The Art of Flight by Sergio Pitol, The Cannibal Night by Luis Jorge Boone and The Heart of the Artichoke by Elena Poniatowska. His work has appeared in The Paris Review, The Guardian and World Literature Today. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish Translation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Mark Haber was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Florida. His debut novel, Reinhardt’s Garden (2019), was longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award. His second novel, Saint Sebastian’s Abyss (2022), was named a best book of 2022 by the New York Public Library and Literary Hub. His most recent novel, Lesser Ruins (2024), was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. Most recently, Mark was appointed Visiting Professor at Freie Universität Berlin during the 2024/2025 winter semester. Mark lives in Minneapolis.
