Julio Merino was born in Nueva Carteya (Córdoba). At 14, he began studies in Education at the Normal School of Córdoba and obtained the title of national teacher three years later. He worked as a substitute teacher for two years and in 1959 moved to Madrid to further his studies and obtain a degree in Pedagogy. However, he did not complete the degree, having left after studying the two common courses in the Philosophy and Arts program. In 1960, he abandoned Philosophy and began studying Journalism at the Official School of Journalism in Madrid, where he completed his degree with a brilliant academic record, graduating in 1964 as the top student of the "Promoción Tokio."
While studying journalism, he earned several diplomas. The first in the specialty of Children's and Youth Press. The second in International Politics, at the Institute of Political Studies, which was presided over by Manuel Fraga at the time. At the Higher Council of Sociology, he earned a diploma in Sociological Studies of the Press. Between 1965 and 1973, he was a professor at the Official School, teaching courses on the History of Journalism, News Agencies, and Journalistic Style.
In 1966, he won the Juan Valera National Prize for a biography he wrote about the writer from Cabra, for whom he would later write several more works. In 1967, he won the National Film Criticism Award for his articles on the film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for its novelty and psychological discovery of the work, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1973, he won the National Theatre Award for his play La tragedia de Séneca and second place in the Premio Lope de Vega for his play Los demonios del Rey, Carlos el hechizado. Since 1964, he has been a member of the Madrid Press Association, and since 1975, he has been a member of the Royal Academy of Córdoba. He officially retired in 2000 upon turning 60, but continued working with contributions to various print and digital newspapers.
