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Centre for the Study of Contemporary Women's Writing (CCWW)

Ángeles Mastretta

Ángeles Mastretta was born on 9 October 1949, in Puebla, Mexico, where she lived until she was seventeen years old before moving to Mexico City. She is known for her novels, essays, and journalistic work. Mastretta’s writing often explores the lives of women and their struggles in a patriarchal society. 

Mastretta grew up in a family of journalists and writers and began her own career as a journalist in 1971, while she was studying at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She worked for various Mexican newspapers and magazines, including Excélsior, La Jornada, Proceso and Ovaciones. Mastretta also contributed to the feminist magazine Fem, where she wrote about women's issues and the struggle for gender equality.

In 1974 Mastretta received a scholarship from the Centro Mexicano de Escritores to participate in a literary workshop alongside writers such as Juan Rulfo and Salvador Elizondo. Later, from 1975 to 1977, Mastretta was director of Cultural Diffusion at the ENEP-Acatlán and from 1978 to 1982 of the Chopo Museum. In 1988 Mastretta co-hosted the talkshow La almohada with Germán Dehesa. Mastretta is also a member of the editorial board of Nexos magazine, of which her husband, writer Héctor Aguilar Camín, was director from 1983 to 1995, later reassuming the position at the end of 2008. She also contributes sporadically to foreign newspapers such as Die Welt (Germany) and El País (Spain).

Angeles Mastretta Mujeres de ojos grandes Cover.jpg
Cover of the first edition of Mujeres de ojos grandes

In 1985, Mastretta published her first novel, Arráncame la vida, which tells the story of a young woman named Catalina who falls in love with a powerful and abusive politician. The novel became a bestseller in Mexico and has been translated into several languages. In 1986 Arráncame la vida was awarded the Mazatlán Prize for Literature for Best Book of the Year. It was adapted into a successful movie in 2008.

In 1997 Mastretta published Mal de amores which tells the story of a woman named Delmira who falls deeply in love with a man named Daniel, but their relationship is plagued by societal and personal obstacles. Set in Mexico during the early 1900s, the novel explores themes of love, passion, betrayal, and the struggles of women during a time when they had limited agency in their lives. Mal de amores received critical acclaim and won the prestigious Rómulo Gallegos Prize in 1997, cementing Mastretta's place as one of Mexico's most influential contemporary writers.

Mastretta’s other novels include Puerto libre, El mundo iluminado, and Mujeres de ojos grandes. In Puerto libre, Mastretta explores the lives of a group of women who work in a factory on the Mexican border. El mundo iluminado is a semi-autobiographical novel that tells the story of a young woman who travels to Europe to find herself. Mujeres de ojos grandes is a collection of short stories that celebrate the strength and resilience of women. 

Compiled by Elena López (Barcelona)