Carlos Ruiz Zafón (1964-2020)

Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 55, died June 19, 2020 of cancer in Los Angeles CA. Zafón wrote literary novels that often included speculative elements. His debut, YA The Prince of Mist, appeared in Spanish in 1993 and in English in 2010. He wrote three other novels for young adults, but his breakout book was adult debut The Shadow of the Wind (2001), an international bestseller that appeared in English in 2004. That title launched the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, which also includes The Angel’s Game (2008) and sequels The Prisoner of Heaven (2011) and The Labyrinth of Spirits (2016).

Zafón was born September 25, 1964 in Barcelona, Spain. He worked in advertising before relocating to Los Angeles, where he worked briefly as a screenwriter. He was diagnosed with cancer more than two years ago. Zafón’s work was translated into more than 40 languages and published in 45 countries, and he is often touted as the most-read Spanish author since Cervantes.