Francisca Staines

I was born and grew up in Mexico City but spent my summers in Chihuahua (northern Mexico) alongside my grandmother.

It was my Abue, who instilled in me a deep love for arid lands, storytelling and science. Loves that followed me to college, where I became an oceanographer. After graduation, I worked for many years in the magical place that is Baja California. The people I met and the places I discovered in this fantastic peninsula inspired many a short story and still populate the books I write today.

Later on, I attended graduate school in Los Angeles, California. Soon after, while searching for clues to reconstruct the history of the oceans, I became a modern-nomad. As a researcher, I moved around, from Canada to France, from Denmark to Belgium.

Yet, my love for writing never dwindled and, by weaving memories and magic, I recreate reality in stories for children, eager to show them a side of my native country that rarely makes it into the news.

At present, I live in a small town south of Brussels, sharing my days with my lovely husband and two hyperactive dogs.