His father, Rafael Sánchez Mazas, a minor writer, was a founder and leader of Falange.

Sánchez Ferlosio won the Nadal Award for his novel El Jarama, a realistic depiction of a weekend party.

He contributed to the awakening of Spanish literature after the end of the Civil War, working alongside young writers such as Juan Goytisolo and Ana María Matute.

He never gave the reason for his silence, but many critics assumed it was a form of silent opposition to the Francoist State.

He returned to fiction in 1986 with El testimonio de Yarfoz, which is set in an imaginary land.