Art, obsession, and identity
The Chilean novelist and poet Roberto Bolaño is perhaps best known as a founding member of the Infrarealismo movement, a literary movement dedicated to new and provocative styles of writing that is comparable to the Beat Generation of North America. His most famous work is his 1998 novel 'The Savage Detectives.'
One of the poets responsible for the Latin American Boom, an explosive period of literary growth and success during the 1960s and '70s, Gabriela Mistral's poetry touches poignantly on all facets of the human experience. She remains the only Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Internationally recognized as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, Pablo Neruda was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1904. His works ranged in subject from romance to politics and everything in between, which is best exemplified in his masterwork 'Canto General,' a poetic history of the Western Hemisphere told over the course of 231 poems.
One of the most famous names in literature of the past 100 years, Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez is responsible for the modern rekindling of global interest in Latin American literature. His massive, sprawling masterpiece 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' is considered one of the greatest novels in history.
Chilean writer Isabel Allende started her career as a journalist, but after a life-changing interview with Pablo Neruda she was inspired to try her hand at fiction. Ever since the publication of her first novel, 1982's 'The House of the Spirits,' Allende has been recognized as one of the brightest voices in modern Latin American literature.
Jorge Luis Borges, considered by many to be the father of modern Latin American fiction, served as a guiding light and inspiration for all Latino storytellers that came after him. Best known for his collections of short stories, Borges was born in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires in 1899. His dark, philosophical, often allegorical work has drawn comparisons to Franz Kafka.
The Argentine novelist Julio Cortázar, a member of the Latin American Boom and contemporary of the likes of Márquez and Neruda, was famous for his experimental, nonlinear writing style. His seminal 1963 novel 'Hopscotch' can be read in multiple orders and can lead to multiple different endings.
Despite having only three published works to his name, Juan Rulfo's immense talent and creativity cemented him as one of the most influential Latino writers of the 20th century. Born in San Gabriel, Mexico, in 1917, he is commonly considered the father of magic realism.
Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier made a name for himself within the Latin American Boom on the merit of his powerful magical realism and his unshakable political and historical interests. One of his most famous novels, 'The Kingdom of This World,' takes place during the tumultuous years of the Haitian Revolution.
Octavio Paz was born in Mexico City in 1914 during the Mexican Revolution to a family with close ties to the revolutionary Zapatista movement. Politics would remain at the center of Paz's life as a Mexican diplomat, and also at the center of his poetry, for which he is well known and admired. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1990.
One of the most important writers in the history of Brazil is undoubtedly Euclides da Cunha. In 1902, da Cunha published 'Os Sertões,' a nonfictional retelling of the War of Canudos, fought between a small Brazilian village and the Brazilian military. 'Os Sertões' has been cited as an inspiration for numerous 20th-century Latino authors.
Panama-born Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes has been described as "Mexico's most celebrated novelist." His most famous book, 1962's 'The Death of Artemio Cruz,' is considered one of the greatest products of the Latin American Boom.
Mario Vargas Llosa, born in Peru, is the last surviving member of the Latin American Boom. Novels like 'The Greenhouse' and 'Conversations in the Cathedral' made Llosa an extremely popular writer during the '60s and '70s. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010.
Reinaldo Arenas was a Cuban writer who was as famous for his political defiance as he was for his writing. His seminal autobiography 'Before Night Falls,' published in 1992, follows his life of passion and persecution in revolutionary Cuba.
Dominican-American author Julia Alvarez is a leading figure in the American New Formalism movement, dedicated to revitalizing verse and rhyme in American literature. She is most famous for her touching and ambitious novel 'How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents,' which is based on real events from her own childhood.
Born to a Ukrainian family that fled to Brazil shortly after World War I, Clarice Lispector was raised from infancy in the Brazilian cities of Recife and Rio de Janeiro, where she became a national treasure at the age of 23 after the publication of her first novel, 'Near to the Wild Heart.' She was considered one of the most inventive and imaginative novelists and short story writers of the 20th century.
One of the most exciting Latino writers working today, Fernanda Trias was born in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo in 1976. She has been lauded for her imaginative writing style, and all of her novels to date have been released to widespread acclaim.
Guatemalan novelist, poet, and playwright Miguel Ángel Asturias is thought to be the nation's greatest writer and a key predecessor to the Latin American Boom. His novels are particularly respected for their portrayal and support of the indigenous cultures of Guatemala and Latin America as a whole. His magnum opus, 'Men of Maize,' was published in 1949, and he was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1967.
Pedro Juan Gutiérrez was born in Matanzas, Cuba, in 1950. After moving to Havana and being shocked and inspired by the violence and vitality of the city, Gutiérrez began writing bold fiction that highlighted these qualities. Today, he is known for his unflinching prose that brings attention to the underbelly of the city he calls home.
Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros ascended from her humble beginnings in Chicago to being one of the most celebrated novelists in Chicano literature. Her first and most successful novel, 'The House on Mango Street,' is taught in high school English classes across the United States.
One of the most popular Brazilian writers of the 20th century, Jorge Amado's work explored the discrepancies that existed between the different societal, cultural, and religious classes of his time. He is best known for his 1976 novel 'Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.'
Breathing new life into the traditions of magical realism championed by the earlier writers of the Latin American Boom, Laura Esquivel became an internationally adored author after the publishing of her 1992 novel 'Like Water for Chocolate.'
The eldest of 11 children, Esmeralda Santiago moved from Puerto Rico to New York City at the age of 13, and has since become a highly respected figure in Latino literature. She is most well known for her beautifully written memoirs, like 1993's 'When I Was Puerto Rican.'
José Martí, born in Havana in 1853, was not only a highly influential poet, but also an instrumental figure in securing Cuba's independence from Spain, and is sometimes referred to as the Apostle of Cuban Independence.
A cultural icon in Brazil, Paulo Coelho is famous not only for his near-30 published books, but also as the songwriter behind some of the country's defining tunes of the '60s and '70s. His is famous worldwide for his 1988 novel 'The Alchemist.'
Puerto Rican playwright and poet Miguel Piñero emigrated to New York City with his family at the young age of four. During his short and tumultuous life, he would establish the Nuyorican literary movement, which focused on depicting the experience of Puerto Rican immigrants raised in the dizziness of mid-20th-century New York City. He is most famous for his play 'Short Eyes,' which was written while Piñero was incarcerated.
Sources: (HuffPost) (Writing Tips Oasis) (Books Tell You Why)
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1940, Eduardo Galeano's 1971 magnum opus 'Open Veins of Latin America' is considered one of the most important works in Latin American literature. The book acts as a prosaic and critical historical account of Latin America as a whole.
Sometimes referred to as "the last great writer in Argentine literature," Ernesto Sábato was famous for his three novels and numerous essays that covered nearly every topic under the sun.
The immensely talented and multifaceted writer Claudia Piñeiro is one of Argentina's most popular and successful mystery writers. Most famous for her novels, Piñeiro is also highly respected for her work in screenwriting and in the theater.
Any conversation about the political power of literature, or the cultural consciousness promoted by poetry, can't go on more than a few moments without the mention of any number of Latin American authors. Over the last 200 years at least, Latino novelists, poets, and playwrights have pushed the boundaries of conventional narrative, teased the line between fact and fiction, and have demonstrated the true, material power of literature time and time again. From the magical realism of the Latin American Boom that breathed new vitality into the global sphere of fiction, to the Cuban poetry and prose that defined an independence movement, to the coming-of-age novels that help process the Latin American diaspora for an entire global community, the contributions of Latino authors cannot be overstated.
In this gallery, let's take a look at some of the most influential Latin American authors in history.
Incredible Latin American authors to add to your reading list
Dive into Latin American culture and history with these remarkable writers
LIFESTYLE Literature
Any conversation about the political power of literature, or the cultural consciousness promoted by poetry, can't go on more than a few moments without the mention of any number of Latin American authors. Over the last 200 years at least, Latino novelists, poets, and playwrights have pushed the boundaries of conventional narrative, teased the line between fact and fiction, and have demonstrated the true, material power of literature time and time again. From the magical realism of the Latin American Boom that breathed new vitality into the global sphere of fiction, to the Cuban poetry and prose that defined an independence movement, to the coming-of-age novels that help process the Latin American diaspora for an entire global community, the contributions of Latino authors cannot be overstated.
In this gallery, let's take a look at some of the most influential Latin American authors in history.