A writer and journalist, with some of her books translated into more than 30 languages. Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1950, she holds a Degree in Philosophy and Letters and a Postgrad Degree in Political Science from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. She currently lives in Barcelona and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid.

She was a primary schoolteacher from 17 to 20 years of age, a Professor of Literature at the Nacional and Rosario Universities in Bogotá and Professor-at-large in Cornell University (USA). 

Author of the award-winning Delirio (2004), among her most recent novels are Demasiados Héroes (2009), Hot Sur (2013), Los Divinos (2018), Canción de Antiguos Amantes (2022) and the book of stories Pecado (2017).

She has won prizes such as the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico, 1997); Prix France Culture (1998), Arzobispo Juan de Sanclemente (2003), Alfaguara de Novela (2004) and Grinzane Cavour (2006), as well obtaining as a grant from the Guggenheim Foundati