Scenic Rights is the audiovisual co-agency of Schavelzon Graham Literary Agency.
Elena Poniatowska is a writer and journalist born in France who later became a Mexican citizen. She arrived in Mexico during World War II and went on to become one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Latin American literature and journalism.
She grew up speaking French and studied English at a British school, but learned Spanish through daily contact with the domestic workers who cared for her—an experience that deeply shaped her social awareness and literary perspective. Over time, Poniatowska developed strong ties to Mexico’s working class, which decisively influenced the social and political tone of her work.
Through her journalistic career, she connected with many of the most important figures of twentieth-century Mexico, and these experiences gave rise to many of her chronicles and stories. Throughout her career, she has published novels, short stories, reportage, poetry collections, and plays, establishing herself as one of the most influential voices on today’s literary scene.
Her work is characterized by a blending of reality and fiction and is often set in Mexico, featuring historical figures linked to the country—such as photographer Tina Modotti in her celebrated novel Tinísima—or centered on historical events, as in her acclaimed book The Night of Tlatelolco.
Over the course of her career, she has received numerous literary honors, including the Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the Biblioteca Breve Prize, the Rómulo Gallegos Prize, the Alfaguara Novel Prize, and the Mazatlán Prize for Literature. She has also been awarded honorary doctorates by more than a dozen universities worldwide.
Several of her works have been adapted for film and television, including Leonora and De noche vienes.
