José Ángel Mañas belongs to the so-called neorealist generation of Spanish authors, along with Gabriela Bustelo, Ray Loriga and Lucía Etxebarria. His novels are stark, fast-paced and aim to give a snapshot of real life in Spain. He was born in Madrid on 22 October 1971. He has a degree in Contemporary History from the Autonomous University of Madrid. In 1994 he was shortlisted for the Nadal award with his first work, Historias del Kronen. The novel had a great impact and opened the doors to a new generation of writers. In 1995 Historias del Kronen was made into a film by director Montxo Armendáriz. Despite losing some of the book’s important references, it was still a success. Mañas won a Goya Award for the film's screenplay.