Karina Sainz Borgo

Karina Sainz Borgo (born 1982, Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan journalist and writer who has lived in Spain since 2006. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages, and her stories have been published in magazines such as Granta.

Among Sainz's most important works are , her first novel, which has been translated into more than twenty languages, and , which was awarded the Jan Michalski Prize. Along with authors such as Keila Vall de la Ville, Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, , , and Camilo Pino, she is part of what critics have called the "literature of the diaspora" or "exodus".

Early life and education Karina Sainz Borgo was born in Caracas in 1982.

She was a student at the Andrés Bello Catholic University before emigrating to Spain in 2006. She continued her studies at the Complutense University of Madrid (Master's, 2007), and at the Universidad CEU San Pablo. she has worked for Spanish media such as , Zenda, and Onda Cero. She is a cultural journalist and author of journalism books such as Caracas hip-hop (2007) and Tráfico y Guaire, el país y sus intelectuales (2007).

In 2019, she published It Would Be Night in Caracas, her first novel, which has been translated into more than twenty languages. Time magazine included this title among the 100 most important books of 2019.

In her second book, Crónicas barbitúricas, she recounts her life in Madrid. In her 2021 novel, No Place to Bury the Dead, she revisits the myth of Antigone and the fundamental right that human beings have to bury their dead. Her 2023 fantasy novel, La isla del Doctor Schubert, with illustrations by Natàlia Pàmies, was a finalist for the Grand Continent Prize in 2023.

In 2026, Sainz Borgo was awarded the prestigious Mariano de Cavia Prize for her article "Lo que más duele no es el desarraigo" (What hurts the most is not the uprooting). The jury recognized her precise prose and her profound exploration of the human condition and the experience of exile.

Awards and honours Grand Prix L'Héroïne Madame Figaro, foreign novel category (2020) Nominated for the LiBeraturpreis (2020) O. Henry Prize (2021) Selection, Fnac Novel Prize (2023) David Gistau Journalism Award (2023) Winner, Jan Michalski Prize (2023) Finalist, Grand Continent Prize (2023) Winner, Mariano de Cavia Prize (2026)

Selected works Non-fiction Caracas hip-hop (Caracas, 2007) Tráfico y Guaire, el país y sus intelectuales (Fundación Para La Cultura Urbana, 2007) Cuatro reportajes, dos décadas, una historia: Tráfico y Guaire, el país y sus intelectuales (Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, 2007) Crónicas barbitúricas (Círculo de Tiza, 2019)

Novels It Would Be Night in Caracas (2019) No Place to Bury the Dead (2021) La isla del Doctor Schubert (2023)