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Biography
Elizabeth Subercaseaux grew up near Cauqenes, Chile at her grandparents's home called Santa Clara. Subercaseaux's father died in 1956, when he was 42 years old and she was 11. The five children of the marriage – Bernardo and Juan, older than Elizabeth, and Martin and Ximena, younger – were brought up by their mother, the sculptor, painter, and photographer Gerda Sommerhoff, who was born in Germany and grew up in Holland. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the German composer Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck.

Career
She has been cited as a major force in guiding public opinion about the dictator, especially in grassroots movements. After attempting to arrange an interview with Pinochet for fifteen years, Subercaseaux finally received a chance to interview the dictator in 1988. In interviews with Subercaseaux after her time in Chile, she speaks of the great terror felt by uncensored journalists in Chile during the time of Pinochet’s dictatorship. Subercaseaux was beaten by police on her own street when she lived in Chile. Half of her family was in exile during Pinochet’s reign.

A Week in October: a novel is her first book to be translated into English, translated by Marina Harss.