Book inspired by “El Chapo” wins the Black Novel RBA – The Universal

The American writer Don Winslow today won the ninth edition of the RBA International Prize for Crime Novel with the play “El cartel” an endowed with 125,000 euros prize ( $ 140,000).

This novel Winslow, who presented the award under the pseudonym of Frankie Machine is a fiction inspired by the Mexican drug trafficker, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman , leader of the Sinaloa cartel and that includes his first escape from prison in 2001.

Winslow is one of the most widely read authors in the world of black genre, which has been published in twenty-eight countries and carries written seventeen novels, including titles such as “The Power of the Dog”, “The kings of cool”, “wild” or “Winter of Frankie Machine”.

“The Cartel” was selected by a panel of Soledad Puértolas, Lorenzo Silva, Antonio Lozano, the bookseller Paco Camarasa and Manel Martos editor jury.

Don Winslow has become 17 novels in one of the authors of the genre read the world, with titles published in 28 countries.

Born in New York in 1953, Winslow, son of a sailor and a librarian, grew up in a coastal village of Rhode Island in a family atmosphere of devotion in literature.

At seventeen I headed to the University of Nebraska, where he majored in African Studies, and during his college years traveled to South Africa, kicking off a link with the continent which has lasted until today.

Installed in New York, served as manager of cinemas and private investigator, trying to make his way as a writer.

Later, he obtained a Masters degree in History Military and began working as a guide for photo safaris in Kenya and to guide tours through the mountains of southwestern China, to which the work direction of Shakespeare would add at summer festivals in Oxford ( Mississippi).

Among his constant journeys between Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States, wrote his first novel, “A breath of fresh air” which was nominated for an Edgar Award.

After starting a family, he moved to California, where he resumed his detective work and as a consultant in trials.

The sale of the literary and film rights to his book “The Death and Life of Bobby Z” will He allowed devote himself to writing and finally settling in California, scene of many of his works.

Along with his friend Shane Salerno wrote a TV series, “UC Undercover” and the screenplay for his novel “Wild”, who led the filmmaker Oliver Stone.

Don Winslow has also published stories in anthologies and magazines such as Esquire, The LA Times Magazine and Playboy, as well as columns for The Huffington Post and various foreign newspapers.

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