Julianne Pachico


Julianne Pachico is a British-American writer whose work explores memory, violence and cultural identity, particularly within the Colombian context.
She grew up in Cali, Colombia, until the age of 18. Pachico earned a bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and later a master's degree in Prose Fiction at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, where she also completed a PhD in creative and critical writing. She was a recipient of the UEA International Scholarship in Creative Writing.

Literary career

Pachico's debut book, The Tourists, tells the story of a local dignitary who hosts a lavish party near Cali, Colombia, but unease arises as his daughter goes missing, a spider monkey threatens chaos, and unseen intruders observe the event.
The Lucky Ones spans two decades, following the intertwined lives of high school girls and those around them amid Colombia’s violent drug conflict and New York’s nightlife. It portrays a world where loyalties blur, danger is ever-present, and loved ones can disappear without warning.
In her second novel, The Anthill, Lina, a young woman returning to Colombia after twenty years in England, confronts the unresolved mysteries of her past. While volunteering at a daycare for street children, she encounters disturbing events and hidden truths that test her grasp on reality, exploring themes of memory, belonging, and the enduring effects of trauma.
In 2023, she published Jungle House, which follows Lena, who has grown up in the jungle with her mother, isolated from the outside world. As unrest spreads beyond their home, mysteries about Lena’s past, her missing friends, and her mother’s secretive actions start to surface.

Novels

The Tourists, Daunt Books Publishing, 2014. The Lucky Ones, Faber & Faber, 2017. The Anthill, Faber & Faber, 2020. Jungle House, Faber & Faber, 2023.

Short stories

Honey Bunny, The New Yorker, 2015

Awards