Isabel Calione

From Uruguay to Connecticut, Isabel Calione built a literary journey that began with one story and ultimately grew into a trilogy published in Spanish and English.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Isabel Calione came to the United States carrying with her the experience of immigration, adaptation, and starting a new life. Connecticut eventually became her home and the place where she discovered a path she had not originally planned: becoming an author.

Calione's journey into literature did not begin through a traditional writing career or inside a publishing house. She originally trained as a preschool teacher in Uruguay and later continued her education and professional development in the United States while working, building businesses, and becoming involved in Connecticut's Hispanic community.

Along the way, writing found its place.

One Story Becomes a Trilogy

In September 2013, Calione introduced Lo Que No Sabía — What I Didn't Know — the first installment of a story combining romance, suspense, secrets, and unexpected turns.

The book was officially presented at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. But the story was far from over.

In 2015, Calione continued the series with Lo Que No Sabía: Lo Inesperado, returning to the New Britain Museum of American Art for the presentation of the second installment.

The story eventually reached its conclusion with Lo Que No Sabía: El Gran Final, completing the trilogy.

Her books also took her beyond Connecticut, with presentations and literary activities in New York and Oklahoma. Copies of her work were also accepted into a public library collection in Tulsa.

Eventually, Calione took on another challenge: bringing her stories to English-speaking readers. The first two installments were translated and released in English as What I Didn't Know and What I Didn't Know: The Unexpected.

From Connecticut to Los Angeles

In 2026, Calione's literary journey reached another milestone when What I Didn't Know was selected for participation in the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, held at the University of Southern California.

For an author whose publishing journey began in Connecticut more than a decade earlier, taking her work to one of the country's major literary gatherings represented a significant new chapter.

It was also evidence of how far a story can travel.

Literature, Culture and Community

Calione's work has extended beyond publishing. Her involvement with Connecticut's Hispanic community earned her recognition as Member of the Year by the Hispanic American Cultural Council in 2013 and again in 2016.

In 2021, she was recognized among 50 outstanding Latinos in Connecticut by Identidad Latina.

In 2025, Calione received an official Connecticut State proclamation recognizing her contributions to literature, culture, and the Hispanic community.

Her passion for communication also moved beyond the written word. Since 2017, she has hosted Latin Music with Isabel on WESU 88.1 FM at Wesleyan University, combining Latin music with information about artists, history, and culture.

She later created Spotlight & Shadows with Isabel Calione, a platform featuring interviews, investigations, history, community issues, and stories that invite audiences to look beyond the surface.

An Author Between Two Languages and Two Cultures

For Calione, being a Uruguayan-American author has also meant communicating between cultures and languages. Publishing her work in English opened another door, allowing stories originally written for Spanish-speaking readers to reach a broader audience while maintaining the cultural roots from which they emerged.

More than a decade after the publication of her first novel, what began as one story has grown into a trilogy that has crossed states, languages, and audiences.

Calione's journey is ultimately about more than publishing books. It is the story of beginning again in another country, building a voice of her own, and discovering that a story written in Connecticut can travel much farther than its author might have imagined when she first began writing.

Discover the What I Didn't Know trilogy and the literary work of Isabel Calione.