Talking About Colombia

The Colombian writer, Juan Gabriel Vasquez, has won the 2011 Alfaguara prize for his novel, “The Sound of Things Falling.” The award is one of the most prestigious in the Spanish language and includes a prize of $175,000.

The novel was also included in Amazon.com Top 10 list for 2009.

Vasquez was born in Bogotá in 1973, and lives in Barcelona, Spain since 1999. He is a columnist for the Colombian newspaper, El Espectador.

Critics say Vasquez has a voice akin to Sebald’s. So, one more on my list of “to read.”