Vanessa Montfort presents La Toffana, winner of the 2025 Primavera Novel Prize, in Santiago de Compostela.

It will be held on Wednesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the sala at Ámbito Cultural, ground floor, of El Corte Inglés in Santiago de Compostela.
 

A fascinating novel about Giulia Toffana, the 17th-century Italian chemist known for selling poison to women who wanted to kill their husbands. For some, she's the first serial killer in history; for others, a woman who brought justice.

The story of three women in 17th-century Rome whose dangerous family secret was passed down from generation to generation.

La Toffana. Scientist, vigilante, godmother of a female organized crime network that rebelled against the State of Rome and considered the first serial killer in history, La Toffana is resurrected for the first time in this impressive historical novel of judicial suspense thanks to the pen of Vanessa Montfort and the narrative display that characterizes her: memorable characters and a passionate plot that reflects on the role of women, of the family and the dangers of revenge and institutional violence, whose roots sprout in a time of special persecution of women that, at times, does not seem so distant.

Vanessa Montfort (1975) is a novelist and playwright living in Madrid. She is the author of fifteen plays and eight novels published in more than twenty countries, establishing her as one of the essential voices of Spanish literature on the international scene.

Her narrative ranges from contemporary novels to historical novels and thrillers, and she has titles such as El ingrediente secreto(2006); Mythology of New York (Ateneo de Sevilla Prize, 2010); La leyenda de la isla sin voz (Zaragoza Award for Best Historical Novel, 2014); Mujeres que compran flores (2016), a literary phenomenon with thirty editions in Spain and soon to be released on the big screen; El sueño de la crisálida (2019); La mujer sin nombre (2020), in which she rescues the figure of María Lejárraga, a text that has been included as a reading by Spanish literature chairs such as the Sorbonne University, and La hermandad de las malas hijas (2023).

His theatrical texts include: La cortesía de los ciegos (Royal Court Theatre, London, 2010); La Regenta (Teatros del Canal, 2012. Primera adaptación teatral de la novela); Firmado Lejárraga (CDN, 2019. Finalista a los Premios MAX a la mejor autoría teatral); El Galgo (Teatro Anfitrione. Roma, 2020); Sirena negra, llevada al cine por Elio Quiroga (Festival de Sitges, 2015); El síndrome del copiloto (Premio José Estruch a la mejor autoría, 2023); Saúl, (BBC, 2022), mediometraje de teatro radiofónico de la premiada serie One five seven years (Best Fiction British Podcast Award y BBC Audio Drama Awards, 2023).

As a producer, she founded BEMYBABY FILMS in 2016 with director Miguel Ángel Lamata, with whom she produced the feature film Nuestros Amantes (2016) and the documentary Heroes, Silencio y Rock & Roll (nominated for the Goya Awards for Best Documentary, 2022).

Identity, freedom, and memory, the vindication of names erased from history, and the magnifying lens of the big city on human conflicts transform her novels into an emotional journey led by unforgettable characters who struggle to live against the current.
 

Come meet her and get her book signed. We look forward to seeing you!!!