María de Zayas y Sotomayor

María de Zayas y Sotomayor was a Spanish writer of the 17th century, born in Madrid around 1590. Although much about her life remains uncertain, she is widely recognized as one of the earliest women to publish prose fiction in Castilian and as an important figure of the Spanish Golden Age.

She is best known for two collections of short fiction, Novelas amorosas y ejemplares (1637) and Desengaños amorosos (1647). Her works mix romance, intrigue, and moral reflection, often giving central place to women’s experiences and exposing the dangers, limits, and injustices they faced.

Modern readers often remember her for the force and intelligence of her female characters. Whether she is described as an early feminist writer or as a major Baroque storyteller, her fiction remains striking for its intensity, wit, and fearless attention to power between men and women.