SEM Literary Agency
Stella Maris Leguiza
argentina
An Argentine lawyer and writer, she has burst onto the literary scene with a unique voice, focused on exploring the nuances of the feminine through the lens of "strange realism." In 2023, she published her first book, *Mujeres impares* (Editorial Enero)—a collection of sharp, sensitive, and provocative stories—which was hailed as a solid and deeply personal debut. Her work extends beyond writing: since 2017, she has coordinated *Tiempo de letras* in Ciudad Jardín, a space dedicated to reading and writing, and has developed unique experiences such as the *Leer con moderación* (Reading with Moderation) series, which pairs literature with wine.
Active in cultural outreach, she serves as a book columnist for Radio 3F, creates and hosts the podcast *La hormiga interior*, and gives talks on literary topics. Her talent has been recognized with the Tres de Febrero Literature Prize (2018), and she was a member of a winning team at the 2022 World Writing Championship (*Mundial de Escritura*). Currently, with a second collection of short stories undergoing final revisions and her first novel in progress, Leguiza is solidifying a literary project that blends high-quality narrative with a commitment to fostering a community-wide passion for literature.
BIO
WORK
Mujeres Impares (Uneven women)
*Mujeres impares* (Odd Women) brings together eleven stories in which the fabric of everyday life cracks, letting the strange seep in. Its protagonists—singular, overwhelmed, defiant, or secretly ferocious women—find themselves in situations that force them out of their accustomed places: having a mannequin as a boyfriend, inheriting a fighting cock, receiving an unexpected visit from a clown, buying a Chinese man and becoming obsessed with him, confronting a dwarf priest, or even killing one’s own mother.
In these short stories, the fantastic brushes against daily life—unannounced—and transforms it. The atmospheres, at once luminous and unsettling, explore relationships, desires, and family tensions through an intimate, poetic lens.
*Mujeres impares* engages with the tradition of the contemporary Argentine short story, yet it asserts a powerful, distinct voice—one capable of exploring desire, the body, violence, and human fragility with an intensity that lingers long after the final page.