
Sergio Missana (1966) is a
Chilean novelist, journalist, scholar, editor, scriptwriter and environmental advocate. He is a professor of Latin American literature at the Stanford University Overseas Studies Program in
Santiago, Chile, and Executive Director of the Climate Parliament, an environmental NGO.
Biography
Missana is the author of seven novels: ''El invasor'' (''The Invader''), 1997; ''Movimiento falso'' (''False Movement''), 2000, a finalist for the
Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Award in 2001; ''La calma'' (''The Calm''), 2005; ''El día de los muertos'' (''The Day of the Dead''), 2007; ''Las muertes paralelas'' (''The Transentients''), 2010; ''El discípulo'' (''The Disciple''), 2014; and ''Entremuros'' (''Ghost Town'', 2019). He published the critical study ''La máquina de pensar de Borges'' (''Borges’ Thinking Machine''), based on his dissertation at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, in 2003, the collection of essays ''La distracción'' (''Distraction'') in 2015, and the essay ''Última salida: Las humanidades y la crisis climática (Last Exit: The Humanities and the Climate Crisis'') in 2021. In 2012 he co-authored ''Lugares de paso'', a collection of travel pieces, with photographer Ramsay Turnbull. He published, with his daughter Maya (b. 2001), the children's books ''Luis el tímido'' (''Shy Luis''), 2008, ''Boris y las manzanas'' (''Boris and Apples''), 2011, and ''El gallo loco'' (''The Crazy Rooster''), 2013. With his daughter Sofía (b. 2004), he published ''No es justo'' (''It's Not Fair''), 2014, and ''No es mi culpa (It's Not My Fault)'', 2019.
Missana holds an MA and a PhD in Spanish from Stanford University. He earned a BA in Social Communications and a Professional Degree in Journalism from the
University of Chile. He currently teaches Latin American literature at the Stanford University Overseas Studies Program in
Santiago, Chile.
Between 2002 and 2006, Missana served as Director of Publications and Head of International Relations at the
BBVA Foundation in
Madrid, Spain, and as member of the Governing Council of the European Foundation Centre (EFC), based in
Brussels. He was editor-in-chief of Chilean music magazine ''Rock & Pop'' (1994–95). In 2007, he co-wrote the award-winning animated TV series for children ''Chilian Geografic'', which raised awareness of Chilean
endangered animal species. He is currently Executive Director at the Climate Parliament, an international NGO that combats climate change by promoting the transition to renewable energy.
His journalistic work includes over fifty articles on literature, film, music, travel, art, design, culture and science. He has published articles and reviews in ''Revista Santiago'' (Chile), ''PRL'' (U.S.), ''Fractal'' (Mexico), ''
Literal Magazine
''Literal: Latin American Voices'' is a quarterly cultural magazine focusing on art, architecture, literature, politics, culture, writers, intellectualism and current world events. It publishes most of its articles in both English and Spanish. It ...
'' (U.S.), ''
La Tercera
''La Tercera'' ( es, The Third One), formerly known as ''La Tercera de la Hora'' ('the third of the hour'), is a daily newspaper published in Santiago, Chile and owned by Copesa. It is ''El Mercurio''s closest competitor.
''La Tercera'' is part o ...
'' (Chile), ''El Mercurio'' (Chile), ''Planet'' (U.S.), ''Pausa Magazine'' of the
National Council of Culture and the Arts
The National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA) was the Chilean government agency responsible for arts and cultural policy. The council was founded in 2003 and amalgamated arts and cultural policy under a single agency. It was a cabinet-level ...
(Chile), ''Paula'' (Chile) and ''Rock & Pop'' (Chile), among other publications.
He divides his time between Washington, CT, and Santiago, Chile. He lives with his wife, Ramsay Turnbull, and their three children.
Works
Novels
*''El invasor'' (''The Invader''), Planeta, 1997.
*''Movimiento falso'' (''False Movement''), Lom, 2000; Era, 2002. A Finalist of the Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Award, 2001.
*''La calma'' (''The Calm''), Sudamericana, 2005.
*''El día de los muertos'' (''The Day of the Dead''), Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2007.
*''Las muertes paralelas'', Era, 2010; Seix Barral, 2011. ''The Transentients'', McPherson, 2021 (Translated by Jessica Powell).
*''El discípulo'' (''The Disciple''), Seix Barral, 2014.
*''Entremuros'' (''Ghost Town''), Hueders, 2019.
Travel
*''Lugares de paso (Passing Through)'', photographs by Ramsay Turnbull, Lom, 2012.
Essays
*''La máquina de pensar de Borges (Borges’ Thinking Machine)'', Lom, 2003.
*''La distracción (Distraction)'', Universidad Alberto Hurtado, 2015.
*''Última salida: Las humanidades y la crisis climática (Last Exit: The Humanities and the Climate Crisis''), Laurel/Bookmate, 2021.
Children’s books
*''Luis el tímido'' (''Luis the Shy Elephant''), with Maya Missana,
Alfaguara
Alfaguara is a Spanish-language publishing house that serves markets in Latin America, Spain and the United States. It was founded by the Spanish writer and Nobel prize winner Camilo José Cela.
History and profile
Alfaguara was established in ...
, 2008.
*''Boris y las manzanas'' (''Boris and Apples''), with Maya Missana, Alfaguara, 2011.
*''El gallo loco'' (''The Crazy Rooster''), with Maya Missana, SM, 2013.
*''No es justo'' (''It's Not Fair''), with Sofía Missana, SM, 2014.
*''No es mi culpa (It's Not My Fault)'', with Sofía Missana, SM, 2019.
Scriptwriting
*''Chilian Geografic'', animated series about Chilean endangered animal species, Chilevisión, 2007.
External links
Archive in Letras.s5.comInterview in El MercurioArticle on Science-Fiction, Literal MagazineStanford University Center in SantiagoAntonia Kerrigan Literary Agency
{{DEFAULTSORT:Missana, Sergio
20th-century Chilean novelists
20th-century Chilean male writers
Chilean male novelists
Living people
1966 births
21st-century Chilean novelists
21st-century Chilean male writers
Chilean children's writers
Chilean essayists