The 10 best Latin American writers of all time

Latin American literature was not recognized until the beginning of the last century, since she did not usually captivate the general public by being seen as something exotic and distant; perhaps that isolation contributes to what it is: a rare and innovative mix with fresh works and mestizo lyrics, yet to be discovered by most readers.

Poets, essayists, novelists, playwrights, and admirable writers of Latin origin make up this list, since our intention is to name the best Latin American writers who gave birth to new genres, such as renovating realism, antinovela and magical realism. Do you recognize all the inventive and inventive writers on this list?

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Who are the best Latin American writers?

Tastes have always been subjective, especially in art, varying greatly depending on who you ask; However, when speaking of Latin American literature, there are writers who have undoubtedly managed to captivate everyone with their lyrics. We present them to you!

1. Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Also known as ‘Gabo’, García Márquez was a Colombian novelist born in

Aracataca in 1927. He stands out for his stories and works such as 'Love in the Times of Cholera' or 'Chronicles of a Death Foretold', but especially for his novel ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’, which not only won the Nobel Prize for its author, but also also took magical realism to its peak; This is why we have started this list of the best Latin American writers with her name.

2. Gabriela Mistral

Gabriela Mistral is the pseudonym under which the Chilean poet Lucila Godoy Alcayaga wrote excellent works such as "Tala" and "Desolación". Born in Vicuña in 1889, she was the first Latin American woman to win a Nobel Prize, which was granted to him in 1945. If you are a fan of poetry, don't forget to read this excellent writer.

3. Isabel Allende

This Chilean writer born in 1942 stands out for her work ‘La casa de los espíritus’, which she won the National Prize for Literature. She is considered one of the best Latin American writers, thanks to the splendid creation of a magical realism with autobiographical airs. Many of Isabel Allende's works have been adapted for film and theater, so don't stop reading her books in the first place.

4. Jorge Luis Borges

The eclectic Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges has been recognized as one of the most influential Latin American authors of the 20th century for his short stories, poems, and essays. He was born in Buenos Aires in 1899, and stands out for his writing with avant-garde touches, as in his short story ‘La casa de Asterión’. Other of his books that you can't stop reading are ‘The Aleph’ and ‘Fictions’.

5. Juan Rulfo

In 1986, the famous writer and screenwriter Juan Rulfo was born. Two books "El Llano en llamas" and the novel "Pedro Páramo" stand out from his work. Rulfo was very important to Mexican literature, since it marked the end of the revolutionary novel, which allowed the Latin American boom to have even more freedom to experiment.

6. Julio Cortazar

We couldn't talk about the best Latin American writers without including Julio Cortázar. This Argentine writer and translator was born in 1914, and since then he has been able to captivate the world with his incredible talent for poetic prose, short stories and novels. His style wanders between magical realism and surrealism, and he is the author of incredible works such as the famous anti-novel ‘Hopscotch’. Have you already read it?

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7. Mario Vargas Llosa

Peruvian and born in 1936, Mario Vargas Llosa is one of the most relevant writers of contemporary literature that Latin America has given. He has been the writer of wonderful works such as ‘The city and the dogs’ and ‘Conversation in the Cathedral’, guided by his perception of Peruvian society and the world. He has won numerous awards, notably the Nobel Prize and the Cervantes Prize.

8. Octavio Paz

Octavio Paz is considered one of the most relevant Hispanic poets in history. He was born in 1914 in Mexico City, and in 1990 he won the Nobel Prize for literature. He prolongs modernism on his lyre, in addition to the surrealism he uses later on. Also noteworthy are his essays, including "Eagle or sun?" And "Between the stone and the flower."

9. Pablo Neruda

Born in 1904, This Chilean writer is considered the greatest poet of the 20th century, not only for his Nobel Prize, but also for his magnificent works of high sentimentality, such as "Twenty love poems and a desperate song" or "The grapes and the wind." This author, self-described as a poet of the ‘Soviet socialist realism style, is undoubtedly one of the best Latin American writers.

10. Other Latin American authors

We did not want to close this list of the best Latin American writers without recognizing many others contemporary authors who have brought the creativity that characterizes Latino minds, and whose stories explore new themes and different social spheres.

Do not miss reading Tomás González, Carlos Manuel Álvarez, Hector Abad Faciolince, Frank Báez, Andrés Caicedo, Laila Jufresa, Eduardo Galeano, Lola Copacabana, William Ospina, Rafael Chaparro, María José Caro, Liliana Colanzi, Mauro Libertella and many others who surprise us and lead us to experience other realities with the magic of their words.

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