(Cuba) Born in 1963, Jorge Ángel Pérez is a novelist, short story writer, literary critic and book publisher. His published works include the book of short stories Lapsus calami, winner of UNEAC’s David Prize; the novel El paseante cándido, winner of the UNEAC Cirilo Villaverde Prize and the Italian Grinzane Cavour Award; the novel Fumando espero, which resulted in a controversial verdict by the panel of the 2005 Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Prize, making it the first book shortlisted; En una estrofa de agua, distinguished with the Julio Cortázar Iberoamerican Short Story Prize in 2008; and En La Habana no son tan elegantes, winner of the 2009 Alejo Carpentier Short Story Prize and the Annual Literary Critics’ Award. He has been on the jury of major Cuban and international prizes, including the Casa de Las Américas Prize.