It is difficult to speak of the majesty of Peru without mentioning its literary wealth. It is important to know that Peruvian literature covers different artistic manifestations, such as works, stories, poems, and even folk tales that date back to pre-Hispanic times. Peruvian literature is admired throughout the world and has been made known by the pen of talented recognized writers. The following lines present a brief overview of the five Peruvian writers who marked the history of Peru with their achievements worldwide:
- César Vallejo: It is impossible to speak of poetry without mentioning Santiago de Chuco’s favorite son, César Vallejo; He marked a new style within the Latin American lyric of the 20th century and many consider him the greatest exponent of letters in Peru. He was born on March 16th, 1892, in La Libertad and in the textual words of the critic Thomas Merton: «He is the greatest Catholic poet since Dante, and by Catholic I understand universal.» César Vallejo died on April 15th, 1938 in Paris at the age of 46. However, he left a legacy of incomparable works: Los Heraldos Negros, Trilce, Paco Yunque, among others.
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José María Arguedas: He was one of the most outstanding Peruvian narrators of indigenous literature of the 20th century. He was born in Andahuaylas on January 18th, 1911. At the young age of 20, he obtained his degree in Literature at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos. The top work of Arguedas is without a doubt, Relatos Completos; Gathered in 1975, these were the result of important anthropological and folkloric investigations that he carried out, in addition to his poetic production in the Quechua language.
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Abraham Valdelomar: Whoever read the story El caballero Carmelo en el Colegio can describe the impeccable narrative style of this man from Ica. He was a narrator, poet, journalist, essayist, and playwright born on April 26th, 1888, in Ica and died in Ayacucho on November 3st, 1919, in a mysterious way; there are many versions of his death, the most popular one indicating that he fell from a height of six meters on a stone mound. His narrative ability was recognized as one of the most perfect in Peruvian literature.
- Julio Ramón Ribeyro: He was one of the most outstanding writers of the so-called Generation of 1950. He was recognized as one of the best storytellers of the 20th century. He was born in Lima on August 31st, 1929, and studied law and letters at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, reached the peak with his tale Gallinazos sin Plumas.
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Mario Vargas Llosa: This Arequipa is considered one of the most important contemporary writers in the world and at the age of 84 he is currently one of the most valued cultural jewels in Peru. He studied Literature and Law at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos. Vargas Llosa dabbled in politics as a presidential candidate in 1990 but was defeated by Alberto Fujimori. He holds the title as the only Peruvian who managed to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. His most outstanding works: La ciudad y los perros, La casa verde, Pantaleon y las visitadoras and La Fiesta del Chivo.