Hola Escritores
About the Book Column
Hola Escritores is a monthly book column that serves to uplift Latine writers and literature. Through the support of volunteer writers, we will release a new story on the first Friday of each month, including book reviews, author interviews and trend and analysis stories relating to Latine literature and the publishing industry.
Hola Escritores celebrates Latine writers of any genre who have published in English, including English translations. This column complements our weekly Spanish language literary content that comes out on Mondays, featuring book reviews, interviews, essays, poetry, microfiction and more.
Submission Guidelines
Latine authors are welcome to submit for review their English-written or translated books published in the last 2 years or upcoming year. We also encourage those interested in literature to join as volunteer writers and interviewers.
Please review our guidelines to learn more about applying, submitting a pitch and writing requirements. For further questions, email michelle_benitez@holacultura.com.
Newsletter Sign Up
We have launched a newsletter for Hola Escritores. Sign up below to receive each month’s column in your inbox.
Past Monthly Columns
Book review: Anna Lapera’s ‘Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice’
Patricia Coral on hybridity and memoirs in “Women Surrounded by Water”
Introducing Hola Cultura’s monthly book column, Hola Escritores!
Meet Our Column Editor & Writers
Michelle Benitez
Column Editor & Writer
Michelle Benitez (she/her) is a first-generation Mexican American from Naples, Florida. She graduated from Florida State University with a double major in editing, writing and media and Spanish. During her time at Florida State, she developed a passion for text production/publications that promote Latine voices and challenge the current publishing industry’s market. Michelle aspires to become a developmental editor and enjoys bowling, reading and window shopping.
Lorena Ortiz
Column Writer
Lorena Ortiz is a Mexican American fiction writer born in California. Her work has been published in PenDust Radio, The Acentos Review, Latino Book Review and Konch Magazine. She has been supported by VONA, Tin House, Macondo and Kenyon, and she is a 2025 Periplus Fellow. Lorena currently lives in Washington, D.C., and shares a home with her husband, her mother, her 10-year-old daughter, an adored black cat and a few young adult children who come and go as they please.
Ofelia Montelongo
Column Writer
Ofelia Montelongo is a bilingual writer from Mexico with an MBA in strategic leadership & an MA in Latin American literature. Her work has been published in The Rumpus, Latino Book Review, Los Acentos Review and elsewhere, and she was the editor of the Latine Monsters issue at Barrelhouse. Montelongo currently teaches at the University of Maryland and is a board member of The Writer’s Center, a PEN/Faulkner writer in residence, a Macondista and a PEN America Emerging Voices fellow. She is also a Tin House, VONA, Key West Seminar alumna.