Laura Lavayén

An American-Argentinean writer born in the touristic city of Bariloche, Argentina, Laura Lavayén lived in Buenos Aires before coming to Philadelphia in 1965 but never broke ties with the family in her native country. Her literary career began as a little girl writing stories that her mother thought she was copying from magazines or books. In her twenties, Lavayén won a prize in a literary contest in Argentina with a short novel. In the United States, she published a debut three novels during the 70's and 80's. This Loneliness (1974) is the first book she published in English. Now retired, she has written three non-fiction books and two of fiction, all published in English and Spanish: The Shadow of the Baron, Hello Buenos Aires... Chao Buenos Aires, Hello USA!, Illegals, and Dogs, Owners of the City. Lavayén splits her time between the United States, most of the year, and Argentina, in the winter