María Dueñas (writer)

María Dueñas Vinuesa (1964) is a Spanish writer and professor. She rose to fame in 2009 with El tiempo entre costuras, her first novel, which became one of the best-selling works of Spanish literature in recent years and has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She is particularly known for her historical novels set during periods of Spanish and international conflict, including the Spanish Civil War and World War II, often featuring strong female protagonists navigating personal and political upheaval. Her debut novel was adapted into a highly successful television series that premiered in 2013 on Antena 3 and was dubbed by media as the "Spanish Downton Abbey" due to its critical and popular acclaim. After spending two decades as a professor of English Philology at the University of Murcia, she transitioned to full-time writing and has since become one of Spain's most internationally recognized contemporary authors, with her works selling millions of copies worldwide.