Laura Esquivel

As one of the more prominent Mexican authors of the 20th century, Laura Esquivel has written a number of best-selling novels; more recently, she has also entered the world of politics, serving in the Chamber of Deputies with the Morena Party. Arguably her most famous work, Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) combines reality with magical realism to create a romantic tale that entices the reader. It was later turned into a feature film that was nominated for the Golden Globes in the Best Foreign Language Film category. As is the case with many authors, Esquivel draws on her own experiences and those closest to her as inspiration for her characters and novels. The death of her father, for example, provided her with the inspiration for her third novel, Tan Veloz Como el Deseo (Swift as Desire).

In 2009, Esquivel decided to run for a minor political office - deputy of her neighborhood district, Coyoacan. She aligned herself with the Party of the Democratic Revolution and ran on a platform focused on preserving the quiet, artistic nature of her community. Her ideas and proposals for addressing the increased instances of violence and criminal activity that were spreading from other areas of Mexico City were anything but ordinary, and it was this out-of-the-box thinking that played a significant role in her electoral victory. In 2012, she took her political career even farther when she was elected to the position of Federal Representative for the Morena Party. As was the case with some of her earlier works, her life influences her art. Her novel, A Lupita le Gusta Planchar (Pierced by the Sun), deals with issues of crime and corruption in the government of Mexico City.