Jaime Panqueva is a story writer born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1973. Since 1998 lives abroad and has also Mexican citizenship. He studied Economics in his homeland, International Marketing in Germany and Master in Latin American Studies in Salamanca, Spain. His first novel, The Rose from China, was awarded the prestigious National Beaux Arts Award Juan Rulfo in 2009, and was published in 2011 by Grupo Planeta.
La Rosa de la China (The Rose from China) is a captivating historical novel featuring vivid characters in an enthralling adventure story set in 17th century Mexico. It tells the story of Catarina de San Juan, a historical character from the Far East who came to México through the Manila Galleon, and its relationship with a Japanese embassy arrived in Mexico in 1614, known as the Keicho Mission. The beautiful asian woman Catarina San Juan is gifted with visions and special healing powers. When she meets the outlaw Rolando, a chinese born Samurai, they fall in love. Swashbuckling adventures combined with the tribulations of the priest Gonzalo Solis de Armida, inquisitor seeking, decades later, thwarting the canonization of Catarina de San Juan, for which he will have to face her staunchest supporters. The deeper he gets involved in her story, the more fascinated he becomes with the failed saint...
Daring in its approach, the novel features a great historical investigation, exceptional handling of dialogues and some of the most striking characters. Jury of the Juan Rulfo Prize
Jaime Panqueva lives and works in Irapuato, México, his latest narrative work is a collection of short stories The end times (El final de los tiempos), edited by Nortestación, 2012.
In february 2014, his short story Hamburg in Wednesday won the first prize of the ninth San Miguel Writer's Conference.
His tales and articles often focus in intercultural exchange, travels, and historical metafiction. He writes weekly book reviews in El diario del Istmo, from Coatzacoalcos-Mitatilán, urban chronicles in El sol de Irapuato, and also publishes tales in the newspaper El Espectador from Bogotá, Colombia. He collaborates with the Culture House of Irapuato and coordinates a creative writing workshop, in addition to the program of Young Writers Workshop from Irapuato.
Actually he works on three writing projects, a young adult novel Purple, red and yellow; a biographical novel about Luis A. Calvo, a colombian composer; and The rose from China's sequel.