Washinton Irvin (New York, 1783 - Sunnyside, 1859). One of the first prose writers of North American letters. He owes his fame to the character of his work more than its quality, a fame he earned not so much for what he did, but for being the first to do it. He wrote the first short stories, such a characteristic of North American literature. He was also the first to make a literary weapon of humour and satire, creating the colloquial American style that would later be employed by Twain and Hemingway.
Xabier Mendiguren has worked as an editor since joining the publishers Elkar in the late 1980s. He specialises in literature for both children and adults.