# Ana Vidal

Ana Vidal (born March 16, 1984) is a Spanish–American poet, writer and journalist based in New York.

## Career

She earned her doctorate in Comparative Literature at the age of 26, after studying Journalism in Spain and Finland, and later moved to the U.S. Transitioning from academia to the tech industry, her focus shifted towards gaining a deeper understanding of societal transformation.
Throughout her career she has spearheaded projects for Fortune 500 companies, including Google, META, and TikTok, aiming to infuse technology with a sense of humanity. A notable endeavor in this realm was her leadership in creativity for the Google Assistant in Spain, where she initiated a campaign for World Poetry Day. Following this initiative, users gained the ability to request poems by prestigious Spanish poets, including Cervantes Winner Antonio Gamoneda, through the Google Assistant, allowing them to hear the verses read in the poet's authentic voice.

### Social Journalism

Since 2017, she has been a contributor to El País, Spain's most widely circulated newspaper, reporting from New York, where she has direct access to key figures shaping global trends. With a strong background in tech, she has focused on the societal implications of AI, not only through in-depth articles but also by interviewing leading women in the sector and addressing gender equity issues.
Her work includes interviews with some of the most influential thinkers in technology, culture and academia, such as Meredith Whittaker, Kate Crawford, Timnit Gebru, Jane Mansbridge, and Joan Wallace, as well as renowned sociologists like Jonathan Haidt and historian Robert Peckham. Through these conversations, she has explored profound philosophical and critical perspectives on societal transformation. She is also widely recognized for her poignant profiles, capturing the lives of figures who have left a lasting impact on society. Among them are activists Huwaida Arraf and Melanie Joy, writers Miranda July and Sigrid Nuñez, and leading intellectuals such as Cornel West.
In March 2024, she was awarded the Carmen de Burgos Feminist Outreach Award by the Association of Historical Studies on Women and the Vice Chancellor's Office for Equality at the University of Malaga for her article 'Late Recognition, What Good Is It?' published in El País newspaper, around the work of the artist Faith Ringgold.
In May 2024, she joined the newly launched U.S. edition of El País, dedicated to Hispanic news. Her mission was to shift the narrative around Latin American communities in the U.S.—moving beyond stories of struggle to highlight success, resilience, and cultural contribution. She expanded her coverage to include not only immigrant and refugee experiences but also the work of Latin American artists reshaping the cultural landscape. Vidal thus became one of the biggest advocates for the success of Latinos in the U.S. She conducted in-depth interviews with María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Carlos Martiel, José Parla and Regina José Galindo. alongside literary figures such as Valeria Luiselli, Marie Arana, Lina Meruane or Selva Almada.

### Creative writing

As a writer Vidal's literary contributions span novels, poetry, non-fiction, and short stories, earning recognition through numerous awards across various disciplines. As a poet, she has served as the representative for Spain at events such as the Vienna Latin America Poetry Festival, Vienna Latin American Poetry Festival 2018, the Miami Book Fair, and the FILNYC. In the prologue to her first book, poet Amalia Iglesias defined her as "the voice of a generation," referring to young Spaniards in the diaspora. Her poem "Nosotros" was adapted into a visual format by RTVE.

### La Buena Muerte

Following the interest generated by her experience as an end-of-life doula, Vidal launched the project La Buena Muerte in 2019.
She also hosts the first Spanish-language podcast about death, Hablemos de la muerte, which, within a year, became one of the most listened to in the spiritual category, achieving the highest audience ratings not only in Spain but also in Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia.

## Published books

* Cómo acompañar a morir. Una guía práctica para doulas del final de la vida y cuidadores (Non-fiction, La esfera de los libros, 2022)
* Todo este espacio (Poetry, Prensas Universidad de Zaragoza, 2019)
* La oscura boca del mundo (Novel, Lacre, 2017)
* Cuaderno de Asia (Poetry, Amargord, 2016)
* Dolores-Manhattan (Poetry, La Fea Burguesía, 2016)
* Noches Articas (Novel, Baile del sol, 2012)
* La otra vida (short-stories, Traspiés 2010)

## Honors and recognition

* 2024. Carmen de Burgos Feminist Outreach Award for the article 'Late Recognition, What Good Is It?' published in the newspaper El País. The award is granted by the Association of Historical Studies on Women and the Vice Chancellor's Office for Equality at the University of Malaga (Spain).
* 2017. Jury Award "Get married at the airport" at Los Angeles Independent Film Forum (USA).
* 2017. Best Documentary "Get married at the airport" at Los Angeles Independent Film Forum (USA).
* 2017. Best Experimental movie "Get married at the airport" at Los Angeles Independent Film Forum (USA).
* 2017. Best Woman Filmmaker, Barcelona Planet Film festival (Barcelona,Spain).
* 2014. Finalist Adonais Poetry Award (Madrid,Spain).
* 2014. Winner "Premio Neurona" Festival de cortometrajes 'Ser o no ser" (Murcia, Spain).
* 2012. Winner "Todos somos diferentes" XVI edition. INJUVE (Madrid, Spain)
* 2009. Winner "La voz+ joven 2009" Obra Social Caja Madrid- La Casa encendida.
* 2009. Winner Lobher short stories award (La Rioja, Spain)
* 2009. Winner "Voces Nuevas 2009" award. Torremozas (Madrid, Spain)
* 2006. Finalist Booket Young Talent, PLANETA (Madrid, Spain)
* 2005. Finalist El Fungible. Suma de Letras (Madrid, Spain)
* 2001. Winner XV Internacional Poetry award "Infant Blais" Bajo Llobregat. (Barcelona, Spain)
* 2005. Finalist Literary Awards Murciajoven (Murcia)