A Spanish poet and writer, Álvaro Pombo studied Philosophy and Literature at the Complutense University of Madrid, completing his studies at Birkbeck College in London.
He is known for his narrative work and his political activism linked to political parties such as Unión, Progreso, and Democracia.
Pombo began his literary career in poetry with Protocolos and soon achieved his first success by winning the Bardo Prize. In 1983, he won the Herralde Prize, establishing himself as a key voice in contemporary Spanish fiction, something he would later confirm with the National Fiction Prize for Donde las mujeres, the Planeta Prize for La fortuna de Matilda Turpin, the Nadal Prize in 2012 for El temblor del héroe, the Francisco Umbral Prize for best book of 2023 for Santander, 1936 (Santander, 1936), and the Cervantes Prize in recognition of his lifetime achievement.
Pombo's work reflects his interest in the situation of homosexuality in Spain—he himself has acknowledged his sexual orientation on several occasions—as well as the psychological and philosophical depth of his characters, always combined with a distinctive sense of humor.
