Elena Poniatowska

author

b. 19 May 1932, Paris, France^[1] active 1953–present

Elena Poniatowska is a French-born Mexican journalist and author specializing in works on social and political issues focused on disenfranchised populations, especially women and the poor. Born in Paris to a Polish nobleman and a Mexican woman, she fled to Mexico at age ten to escape World War II. She began her career as a journalist for Excélsior in 1953. She is known for 'testimonial narratives' that chronicle historical events through oral histories, such as the 1968 student protests in Mexico City and the 1985 earthquake. She has received numerous awards, including the Miguel de Cervantes Prize (2013) and the Rómulo Gallegos Prize (2007).^[1]

• social justice
• human rights
• feminism
• testimonial narrative
• Mexican history