Alberto Méndez (Madrid, 1941-2004) studied in Rome and graduated in Literature and Philosophy from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He always worked in national and international publishing companies. He was awarded the Setenil Prize (a prize to the best short-stories book published in Spain) for Los girasoles ciegos in 2004 And in 2005 The Critics’ Prize, awarded for the first time to a posthumous book, and the National Prize for Literature.