Mariano José de Larra

Born in Madrid in 1809, he spent part of his childhood in France after his family left Spain during the Peninsular War. When they returned to Madrid, he grew up in a turbulent political climate that would later shape his writing.

He became famous as a journalist, essayist, and satirist, publishing under pen names including Fígaro. In newspapers and magazines, he wrote about Spanish society, politics, bureaucracy, and everyday habits with a style that was lively, ironic, and often biting. He also wrote fiction and drama, and he is widely remembered as one of the key figures of Spanish Romanticism.

His life was short and tragic: he died in Madrid in 1837 at just 27 years old. Even so, his essays and articles left a lasting mark on Spanish literature, and he is still read for the clarity, energy, and restless intelligence of his voice.