Javier García del Moral was trained as a civil engineer, working on roads and bridges in Spain, Ireland, the Middle East, and the United States. He is the founder of The Wild Detectives, the Dallas bookstore-bar opened in 2014, which has hosted more than 1,000 literary and cultural events and is widely recognized as a cornerstone of the city’s independent arts scene. He also coordinates Hay Festival Forum Dallas, helping position the city as an international meeting point for contemporary literature and ideas.

(Photo credit: Andrew Ryan Shepherd)