EDEBÉ Young Adult Literature Award 2008: Huida al Sur, by Juan Madrid

Born in Malaga, in June 1947, he is one of the greatest exponents of the so-called “European urban crime novel.” Journalist and film and TV scriptwriter as well as a writer, Juan Madrid worked in different jobs until he landed in journalism in 1973. He has a degree in Contemporary History from the University of Salamanca, and has collaborated as an editor in magazines such as Cambio 16, in addition to writing numerous reports in other Spanish and international media.

In the literary field, he has published around forty books, including novels, short story collections and Young adult literature, with translations of his works in sixteen languages.
He teaches at different prestigious institutions in Spain, France, Italy, Argentina and Cuba, among others the International Film and TV School of San Antonio de los Baños in Cuba and Hotel Kafka in Madrid.

Several of its titles have been brought to the big screen: Días contados (a film directed by Imanol Uribe) or Tánger, produced and directed in-house. On the other hand, he has made scripts for television such as Brigada Central.

The detective novel came into his life with the collection "Círculo del Crimen" in 1980. That year he also published his first novel: A kiss as a friend. In the aforementioned work, his detective Toni Romano appears for the first time.