THE 40 MOST FAMOUS MEXICAN WRITERS IN HISTORY - LITERATURE

Many works by Mexican writers have been internationally recognized for their ideas. Recognized literary authors such as Octavio Paz, are a letter of introduction to the Mexican people and their customs.

The 20th century was very fruitful for the country and many schools and literary aspects were developed, however today there are authors who also stand out for their brilliance in letters.

I leave you a list of current, contemporary and historical Mexican writers who have most influenced Mexican literature, being also some important characters of the country. They have especially written novels, poetry, theater, essays, and short stories.

List of the most outstanding Mexican writers in history

1- Juana Inés de Asbaje and Ramírez de Santillana (1651 - 1695)

Better known as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, she was called “the Phoenix of America”, “the Tenth Muse” or “the Tenth Mexican Muse”.

It is considered an exponent of New Spain literature and of the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His most outstanding works are "Love is more labyrinth" and "The pawns of a house." He was a poet and also wrote plays.

2- Octavio Paz (1914 - 1998)

Great representative of Latin American letters. This author was an essayist, narrator, translator, poet and Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1990.

His works were characterized by their eroticism, their impersonal and surrealist tone. Among his most outstanding works are "Wild Moon", "Poems", "Freedom under Word", "Violent Eagle", "Salamander", "Between the Stone and the Flower" and "Past in Clear".

3- Carlos Fuentes (1928 - 2012)

He was one of the members of the Latin American Boom and one of the most relevant figures in Latin American literature. Thanks to his novels, essays and literary criticisms, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for literature.

He founded the Revista Mexicana de Literatura. Among his works are "Masked Days", Aura, "Sacred Zone", "The most transparent region", "The death of Artemio Cruz", "Tierra nostra" and "Cristóbal Nonato".

4- Juan Rulfo (1917 - 1986)

Although Juan Rulfo wrote few books, the depth of his works has been recognized for portraying the human condition and the idiosyncrasies of the Mexican people.

5- Jaime Sabines (1926 - 1999)

Creator of the works "Adán y Eva" and "Mal tiempo" characterized by his informal and spontaneous language that reflects the lives of ordinary people.

He was a poet, novelist, and essayist. He is considered one of the most important poets of the 20th century in Mexican literature.

6- Juan José Arreola Zúñiga (1918 - 2001)

The most surprising thing about this writer is that his training was self-taught, since he never finished primary school. He was a writer, translator, academic and editor of important magazines such as Cuadernos del Unicornio or Eos, Jalisciense Magazine of Literature.

His works Bestiary, La Feria and Confabulario stand out. He is one of the most important promoters of the contemporary Mexican fantasy tale.

7- Rosario Castellanos (1925 - 1974)

This diplomat and writer stood out for works such as "Cooking Lesson: Cook, Shut Up and Obey Your Husband" and "The Eternal Feminine", the latter being a play.

8- Alfonso Reyes (1889 - 1959)

He is recognized as one of the best writers in Latin America in the 20th century. He introduced different literary genres throughout his career such as poetry, essays, novels, and plays.

He published “Esthetic Questions” - his first book in 1910. He was also Mexico's ambassador to Argentina and was a friend of the most illustrious Latin-American writers of the time.

9- Carlos Monsiváis (1938 - 2010)

He collaborated with newspapers and cultural supplements from an early age. He wrote in different literary genres such as short stories, essays and chronicles.

His works stand out for irony, satire and acid humor and deal with different topics such as the transformations of Mexican society due to technology or social movements.

10- Elena Poniatowska (1932 -)

Born in France, but with a Mexican soul, she is one of the most important writers of today. Her works deal with important themes in the Mexican history of the 20th century.

He has stood out for his novels and essays, such as «La noche de Tlatelolco. Oral history testimonies ». Other of his works are: "Until I see you, my Jesus", "The skin of heaven", "At night on Friday" or "The seven goats". She is one of the few Mexican women who has a Cervantes Award.

11- José Emilio Pacheco (1939 - 2014)

The member of the generation of the fifties, this author wrote diverse works throughout his career: from the short story to the essay.

His works include "The blood of Medusa", "The distant wind and other stories", "The principle of pleasure", "You will die far away" and "The battles in the desert". He was also the author of the opinion column Inventario for the newspaper Excelsior.

12- Guadalupe Nettel (1973 -)

The winner of the Herralde Novel Prize and the Ribera del Duero Short Narrative Prize, this author is one of the most popular today.

He is also an essayist and short story writer. His book "After Winter" has been translated into more than 10 languages.

13- Alberto Chimal (1970 -)

He is one of the most popular and eccentric writers in Mexico today. His works do not deal with the usual themes of Mexican literature, and are more similar to European fantasy literature. His works Gray, Slaves and Neighbors of the Earth stand out.

14- Laura Esquivel (1950 -)

This author writes plays, film scripts, stories and novels, such as "La ley del amor", "Intimas succulencias" and "Estrellita marinera".

His work "Like water for chocolate" has been translated into more than 30 languages. She is a politically active author and is currently a federal deputy for the National Regeneration Movement (Morena).

15- Martín Luis Guzmán (1887 - 1976)

It is the exponent of the novel of the revolution and realism. Politician, journalist and writer. His literary creation was distinguished with various recognitions in the world of letters.

All his literary creation was based on the history of Mexico. For example, “Chronicles of my exile”, “The shadow of the caudillo”, “Memories of Pancho Villa” and “Historical deaths”.

16- Mariano Azuela (1873 - 1952)

He was a renowned Mexican narrator and the greatest exponent of the revolutionary novel. In this genre his work "Los debajo" stands out, based on testimonies and oral sources.

His other works reflect the social tension that Mexico experienced due to armed struggles. Some of his works are "Failures", "Bad Yerba", "The caciques", "The flies", "The tribulations of a decent family" and "The tamed woman".

17- Juan Villoro (1956 -)

He is one of the most popular writers in Mexico today. His work includes different genres such as the chronicle, the essay, the short story and the novel.

Some of his most famous works are "Argon Shot". "The witness", "Disposed matter", "Amsterdam calls", "The navigable night", "Pools" and "The culprits".

He is a columnist for the Mexican newspaper Reforma, the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio and sporadically for the Bogota magazine El Malpensante.

18- Paco Ignacio Taibo II (1949 -)

He is one of the most widely read Mexican authors. Despite being born in Spain, in his own words his homeland is Mexico.

Not only does he write crime novels, but he is the author of biographies of characters such as Ché Guevara and Franciso “Pancho” Villa. He is also a political union activist.

19- Sergio Pitol Deméneghi (1933 -)

He is also a translator and diplomat. In his stories he touches on topics such as the current politics of the country and why the human being is below the State. His early works were obscure and according to the author were "an attempt to escape" from a sick world.

Among his most recent works he deals with topics such as marital problems. His works “Hell of all” and “Married life” stand out.

20- Devil Guardian by Xavier Velasco (1964 -)

Being the winner of the VI Alfaguara Prize, he became known. Writers like Carlos Fuentes have cataloged Velasco as the future of Mexican literature.

He is also a journalist and has collaborated with many newspapers, such as El Universal, La Crónica, Milenio, El Nacional, Reforma and El País. One of his latest books "The Age of the Sting" is based on his own life.

21- Julián Herbert (1971 -)

He is the author of “Canción de Tumba” and is a poet, essayist, musician, short story writer, novelist, teacher and cultural promoter.

His first work "Dead Soldiers" had great acceptance among readers. Shortly after this collection of poems, he published his first novel "Un mundo infiel", also with good acceptance.

22- Álvaro Enrigue Soler (1969 -)

Postmodern writer. He is considered one of the most important contemporary storytellers in Mexico. Three of his works stand out: "Sudden Death"; Awarded with the Herralde Prize, «Hypothermia» and «The death of an installer».

He is the fourth Mexican writer to win the Herralde Prize. He has served as a journalist and university professor.

23- Cristina Rivera Garza (1964 -)

Writer and professor. She is one of the most important representatives of Latin American literature today. Her works "Nobody will see me cry", "The crest of Ilión" and "Death gives me" have been awarded various prizes.

Carlos Fuentes considered the novel "No one will see me cry" as "one of the most notable works of fiction in literature, not only Mexican, but in Castilian, from the turn of the century." Rivera Garza resides in the United States and is a university professor.

24- Guillermo Fadanelli (1959 or 1960 -)

Founder of the magazine Moho, he is one of the most important writers of Mexican news. His works portray the life of underground groups in Mexico.

He is also a cultural promoter of various underground art projects. His works are marked by pessimism, irony, skepticism and life in the city.

He also draws on his own writing experience. For example, his work "Educating the moles" is based on his own experience when studying in a military school.

25- Jorge Volpi (1968 -)

Founding member of the crack generation. He is one of the most prolific writers in Mexico today. Some of his works have achieved international fame and have been translated into more than 25 languages.

He has received awards such as the Brief Library Award and the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. He collaborates with the Mexican weekly Proceso, the Spanish newspaper El País. He runs a blog, called El Boomeran (g). He has been a university professor.

26- The musician, writer and activist Tryno Maldonado (1977 -)

He is the author of the books "Themes and variations", "Heavy metals", "Red Vienna", "Hunting season for the black lion" and "Theory of catastrophes", the latter has been considered by critics as "one of the most relevant books of this generation.

Author of the narrative report «Ayotzinapa. The face of the disappeared ”, based on the testimonies of relatives and survivors of this crime. He is a guitarist for the band Scarlett Johansson. His works are fictional and postmodern.

27- José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776 - 1827)

He was the first American novelist. His work El Periquillo Sarniento, published in 1816, is essential for studying the linguistics of the time. This book is of great historical importance as it describes the customs of New Spain.

28- Rafael Bernal and García Pimentel (1915 - 1972)

He was a publicist, historian, diplomat, writer and screenwriter. Well known for his crime novels, especially "The Mongol Plot." He traveled tirelessly throughout his life touring North America and some countries in Central and South America.

He also visited the Philippines, Japan, and Switzerland, where he passed away. He was a radio and television journalist, ventured into film as a producer and making some adaptations of literary works to scripts. Bernal wrote poetry, theater, stories, and history books.

29- Elena Garro (1916 - 1998)

Founder of magical realism. She was also a screenwriter, playwright, short story writer and journalist. Her works such as "A solid home", "The memories of the future" and "The week of colors" stand out.

Elena Garro was the wife of Octavia Paz, whom she divorced after having a daughter. After the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968, Garro criticized the Mexican intellectuals who supported the students, although according to her “they later abandoned them to their fate”, for which she was highly criticized.

Her short story "La culpa es de los Tlaxcala" promotes feminist ideas about the role of women in society.

30- Federico Gamboa Iglesias (1864 - 1939)

Maximum exponent of naturalism in Mexico. He was a writer and diplomat. Author of plays, novels, articles for newspapers and magazines, as well as an autobiography and his memoirs, which were published posthumously. Some of his works are Santa, Metamorphosis and The Last Campaign.

31- Fernando del Paso Morante (1935 -)

The cartoonist, painter, diplomat, academic, and writer is known for three novels that are considered among the best in twentieth-century Mexican fiction: "José Trigo," "Palinuro de México," and "Noticias del Imperio." In 2015 he was awarded the Cervantes Prize. He has also received the Alfonso Reyes International Award.

32- Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora (1645 - 1700)

This polymath, historian, and writer held academic and government posts in the colony. The first archaeological excavations in Mexico were organized by Góngora in Teotihuacan in 1675. He is the author of the book "Philosophical Manifesto Against Comets", which he wrote to calm the fear that this cosmic phenomenon caused among common people.

His novel "Infortunios de Alonso Ramírez", published in 1690, was considered a fictional genre, but the latest scientific research indicates that this book could be based on the life of a real character. He was one of the first intellectuals of New Spain.

33- Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza (1580 or 1581 - 1639)

The New Spanish writer of the Golden Age cultivated different branches of dramaturgy. Among his works stands out "The Suspicious Truth." This comedy constitutes one of the most important works of Spanish-American baroque theater.

His works "The walls hear" and "The privileged breasts" are comparable to the pieces by Lope de Vega or Tirso de Molina.

34- Jorge Ibargüengoitia Antillón (1928 - 1983)

He stood out for his high critical sense. His novels, plays, short stories, and newspaper articles are infused with fine, savage sarcasm.

His prose is agile to ridicule and expose his characters, who mostly represent national or provincial political and economic power.

His works unmask the myth of the time of stability of the PRI, when it was the hegemonic party in Mexico. His works "The lightning of August" and "The attack" stand out.

35- José Rubén Romero (1890 - 1952)

The writer and playwright published his first work in 1902 in the newspaper El Panteón and later became a constant contributor to Michoacán newspapers such as El Buen Combate, Iris, La Actualidad, El Telescopio and Flor de Loto.

Most of his works deal with the problem of the Mexican Revolution. His works include "Fantasies", "Bohemian Rhymes", "My horse, my dog and my rifle" and "The useless life of Pito Pérez".

36- Ángel Efrén del Campo Valle (1868 - 1908)

Journalist and writer of manners, better known as Micrós or Tic Tac, he was a precursor of the realist novel. He was influenced by literary positivism and his works denote his great concern for the social.

All his works were developed in a similar urban environment, Mexico City and its characters were marginalized or people of lower social status than their opponents in history.

In addition, his creations accentuate the inequitable society of the time. In his work "La rumba" he describes the social conditions of the Mexican Revolution. His second novel is in disappearance, since the original text was lost and no copies have been found.

37- Carlos Valdés Vázquez (1928 - 1991)

The famous exponent of the Generation of Half a Century, this author was a writer, essayist and translator. His first book "Absences", published in 1955, is characterized by a realistic style.

Since then Carlos Valdés already dominated the realistic style. Their stories are full of intertwined irony and fiction. This style prevails in his stories and novels.

Mexican literary criticism has pointed out the autobiographical tendency of his works. He founded and has been director of the independent literary magazine Cuadernos del Viento. Some of his works are The voice of the earth and The abandoned cathedral.

38- Juan García Ponce (1932 - 2003)

A member of the "Generación de Medio Siglo" he was a novelist, essayist, literary and art critic. He was the editorial secretary of the Magazine of the University of Mexico.

For his career he has received awards, such as the Mexico City Theater Award, Xavier Villaurrutia Award, Elías Sourasky Award, Anagrama Award and others. His works include "Manuel Álvarez Bravo", "Thomas Mann vivo", "Joaquín Clausell", "Rufino Tamayo", "Five women" and others.

39-Gerardo Horacio Porcayo Villalobos (1966 -)

It is one of the most important representatives of fantasy and science fiction literature in Mexico.

He was one of the most popular writers of the 1990s and it is considered that he introduced cyberpunk to Ibero-American literature with his work "The First Street of Solitude", and the neo-Gothic subgenre to Mexican literature.

He has worked to spread science fiction in Mexico. He founded the Mexican Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Other important works are Dolorosa and Silicon in memory.

40- José Luis Zárate Herrera (1966 -)

He is one of the most recognized and respected representatives of the science fiction genre in Mexico. He is a science fiction writer, although he has also written literary works in other genres.

His work includes poetry, narrative and essay. His theme allows him to be considered a member of the renovating movement of Mexican literature at the end of the 20th century.

This group of young writers abandons the nationalism prevailing until then and becomes more universal and cosmopolitan. That is, they write less about social or historical topics, and they get excited about fantasy literature.

Zárate is one of the founders of the Mexican Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy and the Puebla Circle of Science Fiction and Scientific Dissemination.

41- Jorge Zepeda Patterson

Born in Mazatlán (Sinaloa), he is a renowned journalist, sociologist and political analyst who also works as a writer. Milena or the most beautiful femur in the world (2014) is one of his most outstanding works, being the winner of the prestigious Planeta Prize.

42- Dolores Castro Varela

One of the most outstanding women of Mexican letters in the XX and XXI century. Born in Aguascalientes, she is a poet, professor of literature and literary criticism. She was distinguished with the National Prize for Sciences and Arts, a merit achieved for her extensive poetic work or novels such as La ciudad y el viento (1962).

43- Ernesto de la Peña Muñoz (1927-2012)

Member of the Mexican Academy of Language until his death, Ernesto de la Peña was a masterful short story writer. Some of his most excellent works are Las stratagemas de Dios (1988), The indelible Borelli case (1991) or The transfigured rose (1999). This has earned him awards such as the Xavier Villaurrutia Award and the National Award for Sciences and Arts.

44- Alberto Ruy Sánchez (1951)

He is one of the most recognized writers in the literary history of Mexico. Not only for awards such as the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize and the National Prize for Sciences and Arts, but for being highly praised by greats of literature such as Juan Rulfo and Octavio Paz. In addition, he is the editor of Artes de México, a leading cultural magazine in Latin America.

45- Agustín Yáñez (1904-1980)

Multifaceted writer who also stood out for his performance in politics. It had a great impact on the introduction of modern Mexican literature, since in works such as Al filo del agua, it introduced elements and techniques of writers such as Kafka or Faulkner. He was a member of the Mexican Academy of the Language.

THE 40 MOST FAMOUS MEXICAN WRITERS IN HISTORY - LITERATURE - 2025