SEM Literary Agency
Susana Ibañez
argentina
(Santa Fe) is a writer and holds a PhD in Literature; she is one of the most authoritative voices in Argentine *noir* (crime) fiction. Her profound knowledge of the genre—underscored by her doctoral thesis on the subject—informs a literary body of work that spans short stories, novellas, and novels. She has published four collections of short stories, which have garnered awards such as the Juana Manuela Gorriti Prize and the Province of Córdoba Prize, as well as novels including *Mientras vence afuera la sombra* and *Fuerza de amarre*.
Her international reach has been solidified by the publication of her novellas in the United States, with an upcoming release in Spain (Ápeiron, 2025). Beyond her own writing, Ibáñez is an active figure in building the literary community, coordinating workshops, writing clinics, and reading series. Her profile is further defined by a notable social commitment, most notably her work coordinating a literature workshop at a women’s correctional facility in Santa Fe.
BIO
work
Te juro que es por tu bien
(I swear it’s for your own good)
It consists of two stories—distinct in tone and setting—that converge on the same uncomfortable question: to what extent can a society tolerate difference without seeking to correct or eradicate it?
In *La aguja en el ojo* (The Needle in the Eye), Emi’s life unfolds as a coming-of-age story, marked by a lack of understanding from his family and the refuge he finds with Doris, a seamstress who introduces him to the art of sewing. Amidst fabrics and memories, Emi develops an aesthetic that leads him to build a future in the theater—yet the past always returns, bringing with it a question that never ceases to sting.
In *Me verás volver* (You Will See Me Return), the residents of an apartment building observe the arrival of “the Guy”—a homeless man whose presence disrupts their communal routine and exposes their prejudices, fears, and contradictions. What begins as a game of suspicion descends into a spiral of hostility and feigned compassion, culminating in a brutal act justified as an act of mercy.
In the secluded house of Albatros, the poet Sara Murúa lives, immersed in the memories of a life defined by a radical choice: abandoning her family to dedicate herself to her writing. Her fragile routine is shattered by the abrupt arrival of her son, Rodi, accompanied by his new wife, Ariana, their young twins, and Fito—Rodi’s son from a previous marriage. The trip, ostensibly an emergency visit prompted by a series of break-ins at his own home, soon reveals its true purpose: Rodi is hiding from a political corruption scandal that directly links him to a government minister.
Tension mounts within the house, where Rodi’s long-standing resentment toward his mother for abandoning him clashes with Sara’s own anguish—not only upon learning that her son is in danger, but also upon realizing that he has chosen her home as his refuge. As the media and police close in, the fragile family dynamic implodes, culminating in a stroke that leaves Sara bedridden. Her physical decline forces everyone to confront a future that bears no resemblance to what any of them had envisioned.
Fuerza de amarre (Holding strenght)
