Author Bio - Carmen Aguirre

Born in Chile, Aguirre and her family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada as political refugees after the infamous Pinochet coup of 1973. Returning to South America in 1979, the family was not allowed back into Chile and Aguirre subsequently became active in the Chilean resistance. She spent much of her younger life living in fear. "Fear that my political convictions would not be strong enough to keep myself committed to a cause that I believed in but which clashed with my other desires: to live a “normal” life, to sleep a full night’s sleep, to dance and laugh and talk nonsense without my radar up, without having to watch every word, every choice I make." Now she is a multi-faceted actress, writer and playwright and has an extensive background in the film and television industry. She not only shares an interest in these areas but also has exceptional talent. She has written and co-written 18 plays and has been nominated for the Siminovitch Prize, the biggest award in Canadian theater. Although Carmen found her calling as an actor and storyteller at the age of three, when her parents took her to the circus in the south of Chile, she did not decide to dedicate her life to her artistic calling until the age of 22. Her newest book, Something Fierce, is a memoir on her childhood living as a revolutionary daughter. It is a very intimate account of her life with an eye-opening perspective on the life of a revolutionary. I hope you're all looking forward to the review next week!