The acclaimed British author Helen Oyeyemi has been named the 2025 resident for Writing the Prado, a prestigious program jointly run by the Prado Museum and the LOEWE Foundation. Known for her genre-bending novels and imaginative prose, Helen Oyeyemi follows in the footsteps of literary icons like John M. Coetzee and Olga Tokarczuk—both past participants of Writing the Prado.
This unique residency invites international writers to immerse themselves in the museum’s historic collection, creating new fiction inspired by its visual treasures. Helen Oyeyemi will spend several weeks in Madrid, exploring masterpieces, speaking with curators and conservators, and reflecting on the connections between word and image.
Her original work, born from this creative period, will be published as part of The Prado Fiction Collection, in collaboration with Granta en español. The Writing the Prado initiative continues to deepen the relationship between literature and visual art, offering readers a chance to experience timeless paintings through the lens of contemporary storytelling.
As part of the public programming, Helen Oyeyemi will take the stage in a conversation titled The Beauty of Change with Granta editor Valerie Miles. The talk will be held at the Prado Museum on June 24, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., and will also be streamed live. This moment promises rare insight into how art fuels fiction—and how fiction, in turn, reimagines art.
HELEN OYEYEMI
Photography by SILVANA TREVALE
Courtesy of the LOEWE FOUNDATION