Élmer Mendoza (born 6 December 1949) is a Mexican author. He is one of the key figures in the genre known as narcoliterature (or narco-lit). A dramatist and short story writer, he is known above all for his novels, several of which feature the detective Edgar El Zurdo Mendieta.

Career

Élmer Mendoza appeared on the Mexican literary scene in 1978, publishing his first short story collection. He followed his literary debut with a prolific career. Between 1978 and 1995 he published five volumes of short stories. Then, in 1999, came his first novel, entitled ''Un asesino solitario'' (''A Lone Murderer''). The book won rave reviews, and the Mexican critic Federico Campbell described Mendoza as “the first narrator reflects correctly the effect drug culture in our country.”

Other work

Beside being a best-selling author, Mendoza is also a professor of literature at the

Autonomous University of Sinaloa The Autonomous University of Sinaloa (''Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa'' or UAS) is a public university with its central campus located in the state capital of Culiacán, Sinaloa and with campuses in multiple locations within the state. The univ ...

. He is one of the incumbent members of the

Mexican Academy of Language The Academia Mexicana de la Lengua (variously translated as the Mexican Academy of Language, the Mexican Academy of the Language, the Mexican Academy of Letters, or glossed as the Mexican Academy of the Spanish Language; acronym AML) is the cor ...

and the National System of Art Creators.

Awards and honors

* 2002

José Fuentes Mares National Prize for Literature José Fuentes Mares National Prize for Literature (Spanish: Premio Nacional de Literatura José Fuentes Mares or simply Premio José Fuentes Mares) is a Mexican literary award that has been presented annually since 1985 by the Universidad Autónoma ...

for ''El amante de Janis Joplin''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendoza, Elmer Crime writers Mexican novelists Mexican crime fiction writers Mexican male novelists 1949 births Living people