Elvira Lindo is a screenwriter, journalist, and author of both adult and children’s books in her native Spain. She is a frequent contributor to the international newspaper El Pais and is best known for her eight-volume children’s book series Manolito Gafotas. She currently lives in New York City for half of the year with her husband, Antonio Munoz Molina, who is also a renowned Spanish language author. Following her secondary school graduation, she studied journalism while working as a broadcaster at Spain’s National Radio. Manolito Gafotas, her most beloved character, was created here. Lindo has also written several screenplays, including the Manolito Gafotas film adaptation. She appeared in supporting roles in several of her screenplays, appeared on numerous television series, and wrote two stage plays. She has most recently written stories for Cadena SER’s ‘The Window’ program, which focuses on current events and breaking news.
Childhood & Adolescence
Elvira Lindo was born on January 23, 1962, in Cadiz, Spain, to Antonia and Manuel Lindo. Her family lived in several locations throughout Spain before settling in Madrid when she was twelve years old.
Her family’s nomadic lifestyle is a result of her father, Manuel Lindo, who worked as an auditor for Dragados y Construcciones.
Career of Elvira
After secondary school, she studied journalism at Madrid’s Complutense University, but dropped out in 1981 to work for Spain’s National Radio.
Elvira Lindo created the character of Manolito Gafotas, a child from a working-class neighborhood in Madrid, while working for the radio station.
She wrote weekly scripts for Manolito stories and also voiced the character.
She accepted an announcer position with Spanish National Radio in Malaga before relocating to Madrid a year later.
In 1991, she began writing scripts for and acting in Spanish television sketch comedies.
Between 1994 and 2012, Elvira Lindo took a break from television to focus on writing and published eight children’s novels featuring the protagonist Manolito Gafotas.
Lindo’s first stage play, ‘The Law of the Jungle,’ premiered in 1996. Despite her prolific film and literary careers, she would go nearly ten years without producing another play.
She wrote seven books about Olivia, a spunky girl who is constantly caught up in misadventures, over the course of two years (1996–1997).
Her first screenplay, ‘The First Night of My Life,’ was screened in all major theaters throughout Spain, as well as at several festivals in Argentina, Italy, and the United States. She also had a small role in the film.
Elvira Lindo began writing books for adults in 1998, with ‘The Other Neighborhood,’ as well as a screen adaptation of Manolito Gafotas.
In January 2000, she began writing a biweekly column for El Pais newspaper. Between 2000 and 2014, she wrote and acted in six additional screenplays.
Algo Más Inesperado Que la Muerte, Una Palabra Tuya, Lo Que Me Queda Por Vivir, and Don de Gentes are among her major adult novels.
Significant Works of Elvira
Manolito Gafotas’s first installment has sold over a million copies in Spain alone. This series has been translated into more than twenty languages to date.
Awards and Accomplishments
In 1998, she won the Premio Nacional de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil for Manolito Gafotas’s Sucios Trapos. She won the 2005 Biblioteca Breve Award for her novel Una Palabra Tuya. In 2009, her work for El Pais earned her the Editors Guild of Cataluna Award.
Personal History and Legacies
Elvira Lindo married Antonio Munoz Molina, a well-known writer, in 1994. They share a son, Miguel S. Lindo.
Estimated Net Worth
We estimated that Elvira’s net worth is about $1million.
Trivia
Her children’s series is one of the most popular children’s books of recent years, having been translated into more than 20 languages.
Emilio Urberuraga, the illustrator of her books, was awarded the 2011 Spanish National Prize for Illustration.