Juana Inés de la Cruz: life of the week

Paul Gillingham reveals how a fiercely independent nun rose to become one of the great literary figures in Mexican history

Portrait of Juana Ines de le Cruz in a banner for the 'life of the week' HistoryExtra podcast series.

Published: March 3, 2026 at 8:00 AM

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She led “a life that really, in many ways, shouldn't have been possible”. So says historian Paul Gillingham of Juana Inés de la Cruz. This 17th-century polymath and nun challenged a host of social conventions – earning, through her extraordinary books and poems, a place in the pantheon of great Mexican literary figures. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Paul discusses the life of a woman he describes as "the Spanish Shakespeare".

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If you'd like to learn more about the people who have shaped Mexico over the past 500 years, listen to Spencer Mizen's conversation with Paul Gillingham on the history of Mexico – from the conquistadors to the cartels. You'll find that in our archive.

Authors

Spencer MizenSenior production editor

Spencer is senior production editor of HistoryExtra magazine

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