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The five most representative colombian writers
The country enjoys a talent that conquers, that crosses borders and spreads with an extensive and diverse literary tradition. The list is headed by Nobel Literature Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez and Candelario Obeso, precursor of black American poe
Colombian literature has stood out in the Hispanic world since the 19th century and remains a benchmark for excellence in works and the recognition of its writers. Who doesn't remember the magic of One Hundred Years of Solitude or the beautiful poems of Rafael Pombo? Marca Colombia asked the Facebook community which are the most representative authors of the country.
1. Gabriel García Márquez
“A writer can write whatever he wants as long as he can make it believable”. The list of recommended Colombian writers is led by the Colombian Nobel Prize winner, author of novels such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Colonel Has No One to Write to Him, Leaf Storm, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Love in the Time of Cholera. ‘Gabo’, as he is affectionately called by Colombians, is the country’s most important writer and one of the most prominent in Latin America in the 20th century. He is also a journalism reference and the founder of the New Latin American Journalism Foundation.
Do you know the tributes given as a legacy to Gabriel García Márquez’s biography? Learn about them
2. Candelario Obeso
“Am I a black man? Well, I’m proud of it!”. This Momposino by tradition, pioneer of American black poetry, has in Popular Songs of My Land his most representative work. His work is characterized by embracing his roots and making Colombians proud of their culture. Many of his works reflected his personality and tradition full of ‘spice’, humor, and vibrancy. A polyglot, he translated works by Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, and Tennyson into Spanish. Some of his notable works were Secundino the Shoemaker, The Pygmalion Family, Reading for You, and Struggle of Life.
3. Rafael Pombo
“It was one of those nights Nights of my homeland, That could well be day Where there are no nights like them.” (Excerpt from El Bambuco) One of the famous Colombian poets, a fabulist and diplomat of the 19th century, dedicated his life to writing children’s and poetic texts. In fact, many Colombian children learned to read with the famous ‘Rinrín Renacuajo’. Notable works include Mirringa Mirronga and Simón the Fool, which are significant in Colombian literary education. His most acclaimed poem was The Hour of Darkness.
4. José Eustasio Rivera
“She, who yesterday kept her alliance with the winds, knows that every flight only finds emptiness; and sick with horizons, sad with power, seeks in peace the last dream of fortune.” (Excerpt from Tierra de Promisión) Colombian writer born in Rivera (Huila), besides being a lawyer, was a writer and the precursor of one of the most acclaimed works in the Spanish language: La Vorágine. The novel is considered a great epic, set in the South American jungle environment, which can also serve as a historical document of the era. In 1921, he wrote his poetry book Tierra de Promisión.
This figure is among the Colombian poem authors.
5. Jorge Isaacs
“Go, thought, Go free and fly.” (Excerpt from Ve Pensamiento) Originally from Cali or the ‘heaven’s branch’, this writer found in María his greatest literary consecration. It is one of the most important works of the 19th century in Latin America, where the remarkable narrative showcases both Vallecaucana society and Colombia’s social structure at the time. His work also extends to poetry and journalism. His work has been translated into over 30 languages, allowing many to read and feel his enchanting words, becoming a classic of Colombian literature.
Among the 10 Colombian writers most voted by Colombians, Fernando Vallejo, William Ospina, Tomás Carrasquilla, José Asunción Silva, and Álvaro Mutis also stood out.
Colombia is a country full of magical stories; tales that, thanks to the great tradition of national authors, reach every corner of the planet to imbue the world with the warmth of our culture.
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