THE 6 MOST OUTSTANDING MEXICAN ESSAYISTS - LITERATURE - 2026

Among the most prominent Mexican essayists are Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, José Vasconcelos, Alfonso Reyes and Elena Poniatowska, among many other men and women who have exalted the letters of this country.

In the long list of writers and essayists in Mexico, it is also fair to acknowledge the literary work of Carlos Monsiváis, Rosario Castellanos, Ignacio Padilla and José Emilio Pacheco, just to mention a few.

You may also be interested in this list of the main Mexican writers.

Carlos Fuentes

This prolific Mexican writer, essayist, and diplomat was born in Panama in 1928. He spent his childhood in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States, and other countries.

As a teenager, his family returned to Mexico, studied law and worked as a government official until 1958. At age 26 he became known as a writer and published several literary works. In 1960 he founded the magazine El Espectador.

Works: Masked Days, The Death of Artemio Cruz, Aura, Zona Sagrada, Terra Nostra and the essay El Espejo Buried, among many others.

He passed away on May 15, 2012.

Octavio Paz

He is known as "the great poet of America." This writer, poet, essayist and critic received the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature for his poetic work full of perfect and dazzling metaphors. He was born on March 31, 1914 in Mixcoac (Mexico City).

His essayist and poetic work is recognized worldwide for its profound coherence. Octavio Paz reflected on her about language, love and the universe.

Works: The Labyrinth of Solitude, Mexican Masks and The Double Flame.

Jose Vasconcelos

Vasconcelos is a Oaxaca-born lawyer, politician, and writer. He is well known for his novels on the evolution of Mexico from the Porfiriato to the present from an autobiographical perspective.

He was elected a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua and throughout his literary life received numerous distinctions from Mexican and Latin American universities.

Works: The Cosmic Race, The Bitter.

Alfonso Reyes

For many, he is one of the most illustrious Mexican writers (1889 - 1959). Born in Monterrey, he studied law and later entered the diplomatic service, serving in France, Argentina, Spain and Brazil.

In his long career as a writer he cultivated literary genres such as poetry, drama, short stories, short novels, essays and criticism.

He was the founder of the Ateneo de la Juventud, president of the Casa de España in Mexico, founder of the Colegio Nacional and member of the Academia de la Lengua.

Works: The literary experience, The boundary, Prolegomena to literary theory, Three points of literary exegesis, Criticism in the Athenian age and The ancient rhetoric.

Elena Poniatowska

She is a Mexican journalist and writer born in France in 1932. She is known as the “red princess” and for being an active defender of the rights of women, indigenous people and society.

Poniatowska has dabbled in many literary genres: short story, novel, essay, poetry, chronicle and interview. She has been a contributor to various publications, such as the newspaper La Jornada, as well as a professor of literature and journalism and a filmmaker.

Works: The night of Tlatelolco, Nothing, nobody, The voices of the tremor, Dear Diego, Quiela embraces you, At night you come, Tlapalería, Tinísima, The train passes first, etc.

Daniel Saldaña Paris

This poet and essayist studied philosophy at the Complutense University of Madrid, then wrote for the newspaper “Letras Libres” and collaborated with Mexican magazines such as “Punto de Partida”, “Oráculo”, “Sada y el Bombón”, among others.

Works: The autobiographical machine, Twelve o'clock, Chilean Poetry, In the midst of strange victims, among others.

References

1. Mexican Writers. Retrieved on December 4, 2017 from mentesalternas.com
2. Essayists from Mexico. Consulted of sitesmexico.com
3. Essays by Octavio Paz. Consulted of aboutespanol.com
4. 5 Mexican writers for the list. Consulted of forbes.com.mx
5. José Vasconcelos. Consulted of lecturalia.com
6. The word against silence. Consulted of edicionesera.com.mx
7. Essayists from Mexico. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
8. Essay: Authors. Consulted of essayists.org