David Mitrani Arenal (born May 12, 1966 in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban writer, poet and researcher
In 1998, Arenal won the Anna Seghers International Prize[1] from the Anna Seghers Foundation and the Academy of Arts Berlin. He won the Alejo Carpentier award[2] in 2003.
In 1993, Arenal won the Pinos Nuevos literary contest with his story book Modelar el barro (Modeling the clay). In 1997, he published the story book Santos lugares (Holy Places) and in 1999 the novel Ganeden. Los malditos se reúnen (Coven of the cursed), won the Alejo Carpentier prize in 2003. In 2011 he published the novel Deja dormir a la bestia (Let the beast to sleep) .
In 2003, Arenal published the poetry book Hereje inadvertido (Heretic unnoticed) and the Book of decimas, co-written with the poet Alexis Diaz Pimienta, In 1994, Robinson Crusoe vuelve a salvarse (Robinson Crusoe survives again) won the Cucalambé literary contest.
As researcher, Arenal worked with the Italian philologist Giuliana Della Valle in the field of improvised oral poetry. They have published two books: Cuba Improvvisa (Cuba improvises, 2006) and Caffè diVerso (Coffee of verses, 2010).