This is a list of Peruvian literary figures, including

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

children's writer Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

essayist An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...

s, and

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

s. *

Martín Adán Martín Adán (Lima, October 27, 1908 - January 29, 1985), pseudonym of Rafael de la Fuente Benavides, was a Peruvian poet whose body of work is notable for its hermeticism and metaphysics, metaphysical depth. From a very young age Adán demonstr ...

(1908–1985), poet * Katya Adaui (born 1977), novelist *

Daniel Alarcón Daniel Alarcón (born March 5, 1977, in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian-American novelist, journalist and radio producer. He is co-founder, host and executive producer of '' Radio Ambulante'', an award-winning Spanish language podcast distributed by NP ...

(born 1977), novelist *

Ciro Alegría Ciro Alegría Bazán (November 4, 1909 – February 17, 1967) was a Peruvian journalist, politician, and novelist. Biography Born in Huamachuco District, he exposed the problems of the Native Peruvians while learning about their way of life. T ...

(1909–1967),

indigenist Indigenism can refer to several different ideologies that seek to promote the interests of indigenous peoples. The term is used differently by various scholars and activists, and can be used purely descriptively or carry political connotations. Th ...

novelist *

Marie Arana Marie Arana (born Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian and American author, editor, journalist, critic, and the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress. Personal life Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru, the daughter of Jorge Enrique Arana C ...

(born 1949), Peruvian-American novelist, biographer, journalist *

José María Arguedas José María Arguedas Altamirano (18 January 1911 – 2 December 1969) was a Peruvian novelist, poet, and anthropologist. Arguedas was an author of mestizo descent who was fluent in the Quechua language. That fluency was gained by Arguedas’ ...

(1911–1969),

novelist and poet *

Federico Barreto Federico Barreto (1862 in Tacna, Peru - 1929 in Marseille, France) was a Peruvian poet and writer best known for his poetry collection ''El cantor del cautiverio''. Early life Barreto's father was a colonel in the Peruvian Army. Barreto himse ...

(1862–1929), poet *

Jaime Bayly Jaime Bayly Letts (born February 19, 1965) is a Peruvian writer, journalist, and television personality. He has won an Emmy Award and two of his books have been adapted into international movies. He also won the Premio Herralde in 1997 for hi ...

(born 1965), novelist * Mario Bellatin (born 1960) *

Michael Bentine Michael Bentine (born Michael James Bentin; 26 January 1922General Register Office for England and Wales – Birth Register for the March Quarter of 1922, Watford Registration District, Reference 3a 1478, listed as "Michael J. Bentin", mother's ...

(1922–1996), Anglo-Peruvian comedian *

Alfredo Bryce Echenique Alfredo Bryce Echenique (born February 19, 1939) is a Peruvian writer born in Lima. He has written numerous books and short stories. Early days Bryce was born to a Peruvian family of upper class, related to the Scottish-Peruvian businessman John ...

(born 1939), novelist * Guillermo Carnero Hoke (1917–1985), writer and journalist *

Carlos Castaneda Carlos César Salvador Arana (December 25, 1925 – April 27, 1998), better known as Carlos Castaneda, was an American anthropologist and writer. Starting in 1968, Castaneda published a series of books that describe a training in shamanism t ...

(1925–1998), literary anthropologist * Gamaliel Churata (1897–1957), socialist essayist and journalist *

Renato Cisneros Renato Cisneros (born 1976, Lima) is a journalist and writer. He is the son of the politician Luis Cisneros Vizquerra. He studied at the University of Lima and the University of Miami. He began his literary career as a poet, publishing his firs ...

(born 1976) *

Rafael Dumett Rafael Dumett (born 1963 in Lima) is a Peruvian writer, author of ''El espía del Inca'' (2019) and ''El camarada Jorge y el Dragón'' (2023). For the latter book, he was awarded Peru's National Prize for Literature. ''El espía del Inca'' is des ...

(born 1963), playwright and novelist *

José María Eguren José María Eguren Rodríguez (July 7, 1874, Lima – April 19, 1942, Lima) was a Peruvian writer. Although principally known for his poetry, Eguren was also a journalist, painter, photographer and an inventor. Very much a post-modernist writ ...

(1874–1942), poet *

Jorge Eduardo Eielson Jorge Eduardo Eielson (April 13, 1924 – March 8, 2006) was a Peruvian artist and writer. As an artist, he is known for his quipus, a reinterpretation of an ancient Andean device, they are considered precursors of conceptual art. Life an ...

(1924–2006), poet *

Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (12 April 1539 – 23 April 1616), born Gómez Suárez de Figueroa and known as El Inca, was a chronicler and writer born in the Viceroyalty of Peru. Sailing to Spain at 21, he was educated informally there, where he li ...

(c. 1539–1616), the first

mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...

chronicler *

Manuel González Prada Jose Manuel de los Reyes González de Prada y Ulloa (Lima, 5 January 1844 – Lima, 22 July 1918) was a Peruvian politician and anarchist, literary critic and director of the National Library of Peru. The first writer to criticize the oli ...

(1844–1918), modernista poet *

Eduardo González Viaña Eduardo González Viaña (born November 13, 1941, in Chepén, La Libertad, Peru) is a writer and professor of Spanish at Western Oregon University. González Viaña earned a doctorate in Spanish language literature from the National University ...

(born 1941), short story writer and novelist *

Javier Heraud Javier Heraud Pérez (, ; 1942–1963) was a Peruvian poet and member of the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). In his early life he studied at Markham College and later he continued his studies at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. ...

(1942–1963), poet and ''guerrillero'' * Rodolfo Hinostroza (born 1941), influential poet, writer, novelist and essayist *

Luis Jochamowitz Luis Jochamowitz (born 1953 in Lima) is a Peruvian journalist and writer. Jochamowitz has worked for the Peruvian magazines '' Variedades'' and ''Caretas''. In 1993, while Alberto Fujimori was president of Peru, he published ''Ciudadano Fujimor ...

(born 1953), journalist and biographer *

José Carlos Mariátegui José Carlos Mariátegui La Chira (; June 14, 1894 – April 16, 1930) was a Peruvian writer, sociologist, historian, journalist, politician, and Marxist philosopher. A prolific author despite his early death, El Amauta (from Quechua: ham ...

(1894–1930), socialist essayist and journalist * Jose Luis Mejia (born 1969), poet, novelist *

Gloria Macher Gloria Macher is a Peruvian-Canadian writer living in Montreal. Her work explores social, political, ecological and existential themes. She is considered a main proponent of the contemporary humanistic literary scene. Early life and education M ...

Peruvian Canadian writer *

María Emma Mannarelli María Emma Mannarelli Cavagnari (born October 11, 1954) is a Peruvian feminist writer, historian, and professor. She is the founder and coordinator of the Gender Studies Program at the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM), where she also se ...

(born 1954), feminist writer, historian, professor *

Clorinda Matto de Turner Clorinda Matto de Turner (11 November 1852 in Cusco – 25 October 1909) was a Peruvian writer who lived during the early years of Latin American independence. Her own independence inspired women throughout the region as her writings sparked ...

(1853–1909), novelist * Scarlett O'Phelan Godoy (born 1951), historian *

Angélica Palma Angélica Palma y Román (Lima, 1878 – Rosario, 1935) was a writer, journalist and biographer from Peru. Life Angélica Palma was the daughter of famous Peruvian author and scholar Ricardo Palma and Cristina Román Olivier. Her brother Cleme ...

(1878–1935), writer, journalist and biographer * Clemente Palma (1872–1946), writer of fantastic and horror fiction *

Ricardo Palma Manuel Ricardo Palma Soriano (February 7, 1833 – October 6, 1919) was a Peruvian author, scholar, librarian and politician. His magnum opus is the '' Tradiciones peruanas''. Biography According to the official account, Manuel Ricardo Pa ...

(1833–1919), writer * Manuela Villarán de Plasencia (1840–1888), writer and poet *

Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala (Fane, 165after 1616), also known as Huamán Poma or Waman Poma, was a Quechua nobleman known for chronicling and denouncing the ill treatment of the natives of the Andes by the Spanish Empire after their conquest of ...

, indigenous chronicler * Santiago Roncagliolo (born 1975), writer, scriptwriter, translator and journalist *

Julio Ramón Ribeyro Julio Ramón Ribeyro Zúñiga (31 August 1929 – 4 December 1994) was a Peruvian writer best known for his short stories. He was also successful in other genres: novel, essay, theater, diary and aphorism. In the year of his death, he was awarded ...

(1929–1994), short story writer *

Isabel Sabogal Isabel María Sabogal Dunin-Borkowski (born October 14, 1958 in Lima) is a Polish-Peruvian bilingual novelist, poet, translator of Polish literature into Spanish and astrologer. Biography Her parents were José Rodolfo Sabogal Wiesse (Peruvia ...

(born 1958), novelist, poet and translator * Sebastián Salazar Bondy (1924–1964), essayist and poet * Claudia Salazar Jiménez (born 1976) writer, editor and academic * José Santos Chocano (1875–1934), poet * Manuel Scorza (1928–1983), novelist and poet *

Iván Thays Iván Thays is a Peruvian author, professor and television host. Life Thays was born on October 21, 1968, in Lima. He studied languages and literature at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. After his study he continued as a professor a ...

(born 1968), writer *

Carlos Thorne Boas Carlos Thorne (March 11, 1923 – September 1, 2021) was a Peruvian novelist, writer and lawyer. He is regarded as one of the most original and innovative Peruvian writers of the second half of the 20th century. This is due to his unique blend of ...

(1923–2021), novelist, writer and lawyer *

Álvaro Torres-Calderón Álvaro Torres-Calderón Cisneros (born on 18 April 1975) is a Peruvian poet and associate professor. Biography Torres-Calderón was born in Lima, Peru in 1975. He obtained his degree in Law and Political Science from the University of Lima, ...

(born 1975), poet *

Abraham Valdelomar Pedro Abraham Valdelomar Pinto (April 27, 1888 – November 3, 1919) was a Peruvian narrator, poet, journalist, essayist and dramatist. He is considered the founder of the avant-garde in Peru, although more for his dandy-like public poses and hi ...

(1888–1919) * Blanca Varela (1926–2009), poet *

Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (28 March 1936 – 13 April 2025) was a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and politician. Vargas Llosa was one of the most significant Latin American novelists and essayists a ...

(born 1936), novelist of the

Latin American Boom The Latin American Boom () was a literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s when the work of a group of relatively young Latin American novelists became widely circulated in Europe and throughout the world. The Boom is most closely associated with ...

* Virginia Vargas (born 1945), sociologist *

Cesar Vallejo Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar R ...

(1892–1938), influential poet, writer, journalist * José Watanabe (1946–2007), poet * Carlos Yushimito (born 1977), writer *

Gunter Silva Passuni Gunter Silva (born 1977) is a Peruvian writer. Early life Gunter Silva Passuni was born in 1977 in La Merced, Peru. He studied Law at the Catholic University of Santa María in Arequipa. He also holds an MA in Literature and Creative Writing aw ...

(born 1977), writer *

Esteban Pavletich Trujillo Esteban Pavletich Trujillo (13 May 1906 - 8 February 1981) was a Croatian-Peruvian writer, journalist, and political activist. Early life and education Esteban Pavletich Trujillo was born in Huánuco, Peru on 13 May 1906 to parents Esteban ...

(1906–1981), poet, novelist, essayist

See also