Concha Espina de Serna

Spanish author

Also known as: Concepción Espina

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July 16, 2026

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Concepción (Concha) Espina de Serna was a Spanish author recognized for her prolific writing career. She was notable for being one of the first Spanish women to support herself solely through her literary work. Espina was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature.1

Her novels, characterized by detailed descriptions and a melodramatic, moralizing tone, often aligned with the regional novel style. While popular, her work was largely independent of the novecentismo literary movement. Among her successful works were El metal de los muertos (1920), a social protest novel, and La esfinge maragata (1914).1

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Spanish literature
Novecentismo
Concepción (Concha) Espina, often considered the first Spanish woman writer to earn her living exclusively from her writings, enjoyed tremendous popularity and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Her novels, with their detailed descriptions, most nearly approach the regional novel as epitomized by Pereda;…
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Concepción (Concha) Espina, often considered the first Spanish woman writer to earn her living exclusively from her writings, enjoyed tremendous popularity and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Her novels, with their detailed descriptions, most nearly approach the regional novel as epitomized by Pereda;…
Read More