Peruvian by birth, Marie Arana is former literary editor of the WASHINGTON POST and author of five books: BOLIVAR (winner of the 2014 LOS ANGELES TIMES Book Award for biography); a memoir, AMERICAN CHICA (a finalist for the National Book Award and the PEN/Martha Albrand Award); THE WRITING LIFE: WRITERS ON HOW THEY THINK AND WORK; and two novels set in South America: CELLOPHANE (a finalist for the John Sargent Sr. Prize) and LIMA NIGHTS.