Paco Ignacio Taibo II (born: Francisco Ignacio Taibo Mahojo on 11 January 1949 in Gijon, Asturias, Spain), also known as Paco Taibo II, is a Mexican writer, novelist and political activist. Taibo has lived in Mexico City since the age of 9, when in 1958 his family fled from Spain to escape the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Taibo II (or PIT, as he likes to be called) is a Mexican intellectual, historian, professor, journalist, social activist, union organizer, and world-renowned writer. Widely known for his policial novels, he is considered the founder of the neo-policial genre in Latin America and is the president of the International Association of Policial Writers. One of the most prolific writers in Mexico today, over 500 editions of his 51 books have been published in 29 countries and over a dozen languages, and include novels, narrative, historical essays, chronicles, and poetry.
