David Nel·lo

David Nel·lo (Barcelona, 1959) is a writer and flautist.

Specialised in children’s and young adult literature, he has also cultivated fiction for adults, with titles such as The Geography of Voices, Andròmina Narrative Prize (2006), My Heart Towards You Forever, Marian Vayreda Prize (2009) or September in Perugia, awarded the Roc Boronat Prize in 2011.

In the field of children’s literature, he has published an extensive body of work that includes Albert and the Trash-Eaters, Barco de Vapor Prize (1994), Adrià Potato’s Restaurant and Ludwig and Frank, Josep M. Folch i Torres Prize (2010). He is also the author of numerous young adult novels, among which stand out The Bet, Columna Jove Prize (2002), Babushka, Contrajoc (Counterplay), Ciutat d’Olot Prize (2007), Guguengol, Ramon Muntaner Prize (2009) and Mission Future.

In 2014 he won the Edebé Prize with the humorous children’s novel The New Life of Mr. Rutin, and the following year he published Quim, the Boy Who Didn’t Want to Be Anything with the prestigious publishing house Arcàdia. The Tribe of the Zippoli, a tribute to reading and to readers, is his most celebrated and internationally known young adult novel, already translated into seven languages.

Later, his works Melissa & Nicole and The Second Life of Marc were awarded the 50th Prudenci Bertrana Prize and the 28th Gran Angular Prize respectively. His talent has been further recognised with the 60th Sant Jordi Novel Prize for Betrayed Friendships and with the Edebé Children’s Prize for The Chronicle of Iu Eskar.

With It Is Sad to Die Without Heirs (L’Avenç, 2021), Nel·lo offers us a journey through contemporary Catalan literature —his own journey. In children’s literature, he speaks of love without romanticism, with humour, and from the perspective of a boy in My First Love (Animallibres, 2023). In Enigma Variations (Més llibres, 2023), he makes his latest contribution to explore the abuse of power (conscious or unconscious), the light and shadows of fame, the dangerous invisibility of red lines and, ultimately, the terrible complexity of the human being.

He returns to children’s fiction with Alone in the City (Cruïlla, 2025), winner of the 2025 Barco de Vapor Prize, a great adventure in which the protagonist wakes up after a storm to discover that, mysteriously, everyone has disappeared in the city.