Mexican poetry and literature is among the most celebrated in Latin America with works spanning the era of colonial rule to the present day. We encourage you to explore the works of some of the more renowned authors and poets some of whom we list here.

  • Octavio Paz (1914 – 1998) Mexican poet and writer. Winner of the 1981 Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the 1982 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, and the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature. To explore his take on Mexican history you might read El Laberinto de la Soledad (The Labyrinth of Solitude). (1950). [Describes the history of the Mexican people from colonial to recent times explaining the complexities of Mexico, its culture and its relationship and conflicts mostly with US]
  • Carlos Fuentes. (1928 – 2012). Mexican novelist & essayist. Winner of the 1987 Miguel de Cervantes Prize. His his best-known works include The Death of Artemio Cruz (1962), Terra Nostra (1975), and Christopher Unborn (1987).
  • Juan Rulfo (1917 – 1986) Mexican writer and photographer. Known especially for his novel Pedro Páramo (1955) and his collection of short stories, El Llano en llamas (The Plain in Flames). (1953) describing his upbringing in the State of Jalisco.

You might also consider reading Gary Jenning’s historical novel Aztec (1980) about the Aztecs during the time of Spanish conquest.

Film

Mexico has a fantastic film tradition and has produced some amazing cinema and television shows. Here I list three Mexican directors who have each directed some of the biggest films of the last decade:

  • Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, The Shape of Water)
  • Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant, Birdman)
  • Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity, Y Tu Mamá También)

Music

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