Trout Belly Up

Longlisted for the Gabriel García Márquez Short Story Prize 2018

In this highly original collection of interconnected short stories, the Guatemalan countryside is ever-present, a place of timeless peace yet also riven by sudden violence. The stories provide glimpses into the life of Don Henrik, a good man struck time and again by misfortune, as he confronts the crude realities of farming life. Over the course of these episodes we meet merciless entrepreneurs, hitmen, drug dealers and fallen angels, all wanting their piece of the pie.

Told with precision and a stark beauty, in a style that recalls Hemingway, Trout, Belly Up is a unique ensemble of beguiling, disturbing stories set in the heart of the rural landscape in a country where violence is never far from the surface.

About the Author

Considered to be one of the most prominent names among the new generationof Guatemalan writers, Rodrigo Fuentes (Guatemala, 1984) won the II Premio Centroamericano Carátula for Short Stories (2014) as well as the Short Story Prize Juegos Florales of Quetzaltenango (2008). His stories have appeared in anthologies such as Asamblea Portátil: Muestrario de narradores iberoamericanos (Casatomada, 2009), Sólo Cuento III (UNAM, 2011), and Nihermosa ni maldita (Alfaguara, 2012).

Rodrigo is the co-founder and editor of the magazine Suelta [www.sueltasuelta.es] and of the digital publishing house Traviesa [www.mastraviesa.com]. His book Trout, Belly Upwas longlisted for the Premio Hispanoamericano de Cuento Gabriel García Márquez, the most prestigious prize awarded to short-story writers in Latin America. He divides his time between the US and Guetemala.