Espido Freire was born in Bilbao in 1974. She is the author of several novels, including Irlanda (1998), Donde siempre es octubre (1999), Melocotones helados (winner of the 1999 Premio Planeta), Nos espera la noche (2003), Soria Moria (2007), and La flor del norte (2011). Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages, including French, German, and Portuguese. English translations of her fiction have appeared in various literary journals, such as The Dirty Goat, Fairy Tale Review, Gargoyle, Metamorphoses, and Words Without Borders. Her novel Irlanda was published in English in 2011.