The Dark Inspiration of Mariana Enriquez: How Crises and Dictatorship Shaped a Horror Writing Icon
Renowned horror writer Mariana Enriquez has spoken about how her experiences living through Argentina's dictatorship and economic crises have shaped her writing. Enriquez, nicknamed the 'Argentinian Mary Shelley', has had several of her works translated into English.
A renowned horror writer from Latin America, Mariana Enriquez, has spoken about how her experiences living through Argentina's dictatorship and economic crises have shaped her writing. Enriquez, nicknamed the 'Argentinian Mary Shelley', has had several of her works translated into English, including her novel 'Our Share of Night' and non-fiction book 'Someone Is Walking On Your Grave'.
Enriquez recounted a recent experience that left her terrified, despite being known as the 'queen of Latin American gothic horror'. After watching the Australian horror film 'Bring Her Back', she was too scared to walk home alone in the dark streets of Launceston, where she has lived for a few months after moving from Buenos Aires.
"This had never happened to me in my life," she said. "I'm almost never scared of horror movies but I was … super terrified when it ended."
Enriquez explained that she had to adjust to a new level of darkness and safety in Australia, having moved from a city where streetlights were often absent due to danger. She described how her subjectivity was formed during Argentina's 'big dictatorship' years, which began in 1976 and lasted for seven years, resulting in the disappearance of around 30,000 people.
"My subjectivity was formed in that period … Your whole imagination is shaped by this very dark, political thing … There's an alert and an alarm that has to do with growing up like that."
Enriquez's writing has been praised for tackling deep traumas through the lens of horror. Alex Cothren, a lecturer in creative writing at Flinders University, said Enriquez's work has 'exploded' in Australia and other countries, resonating with readers, particularly young women.
"She's a genuine superstar in Latin America," Mr Cothren said. "She's now a very big name in our literary culture too. She sells out everywhere she goes."
Enriquez will appear at the Brisbane Writers' Festival in October, and her work will be featured in a new Netflix series, based on her story 'My Sad Dead', due out on September 24.
"What I do is very personal and very dark. I always find it very weird when people relate to it," she said. "But I guess young women are now in a place where there's lots ... of anxieties."