This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021)

This is a list of some of the most important writers from Latin America, organized by cultural region and nationality. The focus is on Latin American literature.

Andeans

Bolivia

Alcides Arguedas (1879–1946), historian
Matilde Casazola
Javier del Granado (1913–1996), poet
Alfonso Gumucio Dagron
Víctor Montoya
Edmundo Paz Soldán (born 1967), novelist
Jaime Sáenz (1921–1986), poet and novelist
José Ignacio de Sanjinés (1786–1864), poet
Pedro Shimose
Gastón Suárez (1929–1984), novelist and dramatist
Franz Tamayo (1878–1956), poet
Adela Zamudio (1854–1928), poet and novelist

Chile

Colombia

Main article: List of Colombian writers

Héctor Abad Faciolince, writer and journalist
Manuel Ancízar, writer and journalist
Gonzalo Arango, poet and novelist
Helena Araújo
Porfirio Barba-Jacob
Andrés Caicedo
James Cañón
Tomás Carrasquilla
Germán Castro Caycedo
Gabriel García Márquez, Nobel Prize in Literature winner (1982)
Adolfo León Gómez, poet
León de Greiff
Magdalena León de Leal, sociologist and writer
Jorge Isaacs
Jaime Manrique, writer and painter
Santiago Martínez Delgado, writer and painter
Álvaro Mutis
Rafael Pombo
Laura Restrepo González
José Eustasio Rivera
Daniel Samper Pizano
José Asunción Silva
Guillermo Valencia
Fernando Vallejo
José María Vargas Vila

Ecuador

Peru

Main article: List of Peruvian writers

Inca Garcilaso de la Vega
Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala
José María Arguedas
Cesar Vallejo
Alfredo Bryce
Manuel González Prada
Clorinda Matto de Turner
José Carlos Mariátegui
Julio Ramón Ribeyro
Abraham Valdelomar
José María Eguren
Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize in Literature winner (2010)
Enrique Lopez Albujar
Ricardo Palma
Alonso Cueto (born 1954), novelist
María Emma Mannarelli (born 1954), feminist writer
Antonio Cisneros (1942–2012), poet and writer
César Calvo (1926–2009), poet and writer
Gunter Silva Passuni (born 1977), writer
Blanca Varela (1852–1909)
Carlos Yushimito (born 1977), writer
Renato Cisneros (born 1976)
Daniel Alarcón (born 1977), novelist
Mario Bellatin (born 1960)
Santiago Roncagliolo (born 1975), novelist
Ciro Alegría (1909–1967)
Martín Adán (1908–1985), poet
Enrique Verástegui (1950–2018), poet and writer
Manuel Scorza (1928–1983)
Carlos Castaneda (1925–1998), writer
Gabriela Wiener (born 1975), writer
Jaime Bayly (born 1965), novelist
Fernando Iwasaki (born 1961)
Iván Thays (born 1968)
Claudia Ulloa (born 1979)

Venezuela

Main article: List of Venezuelan writers

Andrés Bello (1781–1865)
Adriano González León (1931–2008)
Andrés Eloy Blanco (1897–1955)
Aquiles Nazoa (1920–1976)
Arturo Uslar Pietri (1906–2001)
Boris Izaguirre (born 1965)
Eduardo Blanco (1840–1903)
Eduardo Liendo (born 1941)
Eugenio Montejo (1938–2008)
Francisco Herrera Luque (1927–1991)
Francisco Massiani (1944–2019)
Fermín Toro (1807–1865)
Guillermo Meneses (1911–1978)
Hanni Ossott (1946–2002)
Juan Antonio Pérez Bonalde (1846–1892)
Laureano Vallenilla Lanz (1870–1936)
Manuel Díaz Rodríguez (1871–1927)
Mariano Picón Salas (1901–1965)
Miguel Otero Silva (1908–1985)
Rafael Arráiz Lucca (born 1959)
Rafael Cadenas (born 1930)
Rómulo Gallegos (1884–1969)
Rufino Blanco Fombona (1874–1944)
Salvador Garmendia (1928–2001)
Teresa de la Parra (1889–1936)
José Antonio Ramos Sucre (1890–1930)
Vicente Gerbasi (1913–1992)
Alberto Barrera Tyszka (born 1960)

Brazil

Main article: List of Brazilian writers

Adalgisa Nery (1905–1980)
Adélia Prado (born 1935)
Adolfo Caminha (1867–1897)
Adonias Filho (1915–1990)
Afonso Arinos (1868–1916)
Alberto de Oliveira (1859–1937)
Alcântara Machado (1901–1935)
Alfredo d'Escragnolle Taunay (1843–1899)
Alice Dayrell Caldeira Brant (1880–1970)
Aluísio de Azevedo (1857–1913)
Alvarenga Peixoto (1744–1792)
Álvares de Azevedo (1831–1852)
Ana Cristina César (1952–1983)
Ana Maria Machado (born 1941)
Ana Miranda (born 1951)
Aníbal Machado (1894–1964)
Antônio Gonçalves Dias (1823–1864)
Antônio José da Silva (O Judeu) (1705–1793)
António Vieira (1608–1697)
Ariano Suassuna (1927–2014)
Aristides Fraga Lima (1923–1996?)
Artur Azevedo (1855–1908)
Augusto de Campos (born 1931)
Augusto de Lima (1859–1934)
Augusto dos Anjos (1884–1914)
Autran Dourado (1926–2012)
Basílio da Gama (1741–1795)
Bernardo Guimarães (1825–1884)
Camilo Pessanha (1867–1926)
Carolina Maria de Jesus (1914–1977)
Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902–1987)
Casimiro de Abreu (1839–1860)
Castro Alves (1847–1862)
Cassiano Ricardo (1895–1974)
Cecília Meireles (1901–1964)
Clarice Lispector (1925–1977)
Cláudio Manuel da Costa (1729–1789)
Conceição Evaristo (born 1946)
Cora Coralina (1889–1985)
Dias Gomes (1922–1999)
Érico Veríssimo (1905–1975)
Euclides da Cunha (1866–1909)
Fabrício Carpi Nejar (born 1972)
Ferreira Gullar (1930–2016)
Gilberto Mendonça Teles (born 1931)
Gonçalves de Magalhães (1811–1882)
Graça Aranha (1868–1931)
Graciliano Ramos (1892–1953)
Gregório de Matos (1636–1696)
Gustavo Dourado (born 1960)
Haroldo de Campos (1929–2003)
Henriqueta Lisboa (1901–1985)
Hilda Hilst (1930–2004)
João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920–1999)
João da Cruz e Sousa (1861–1898)
João do Rio (1881–1921)
João Gilberto Noll (1946–2017)
João Guimarães Rosa (1908–1967)
João Simões Lopes Neto (1865–1916)
João Ubaldo Ribeiro (1941–2014)
Joaquim Manuel de Macedo (1820–1882)
Jorge Amado (1912–2001)
José de Alencar (1829–1877)
José Lins do Rego (1901–1957)
José Mauro de Vasconcelos (1920–1984)
Laerte (born 1951)
Lima Barreto (1881–1922)
Lúcia Machado de Almeida (1910–2005)
Lya Luft (1938–2021)
Lygia Fagundes Telles (1923–2022)
Machado de Assis (1839–1908)
Manuel Bandeira (1886–1968)
Manuel de Araújo Porto-alegre (1777–1838)
Márcio Souza (born 1946)
Mário de Andrade (1893–1945)
Mario Quintana (1906–1994)
Martins Pena (1815–1848)
Menotti Del Picchia (1892–1988)
Milton Hatoum (born 1952)
Monteiro Lobato (1882–1948)
Murilo Mendes (1901–1975)
Narbal Fontes (1902–1960)
Nélida Piñon (1937–2022)
Nélson Rodrigues (1912–1980)
Olavo Bilac (1865–1918)
Orígenes Lessa (1903–1986)
Osman Lins (1924–1978)
Oswald de Andrade (1890–1954)
Pagu (1910–1962)
Paulo Coelho (born 1947)
Paulo Leminski (1944–1989)
Paulo Lins (born 1958)
Pedro Bloch (1914–2004)
Rachel de Queiroz (1910–2003)
Raul Pompéia (1863–1895)
Rubem Braga (1913–1990)
Rubem Fonseca (1925–2020)
Sérgio Sant'Anna (1941–2020)
Socorro Acioli (born 1975)
Sousândrade (1833–1902)
Tomás Antônio Gonzaga (1744–1819)
Vladimir Herzog (1930–1975)
Zélia Gattai (1916–2008)
Ziraldo Alves Pinto (born 1932)

Caribbean

Cuba

Main article: List of Cuban writers

Dominican Republic

Haiti

Puerto Rico

Main article: List of Puerto Rican writers

Central America

Costa Rica

El Salvador

Guatemala

Miguel Angel Asturias, Nobel prize winner

Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899–1974), Nobel Prize in Literature winner (1967)
Marco Antonio Flores (1937–2013)
Augusto Monterroso (1921–2003)

Honduras

Nicaragua

Ernesto Cardenal is a poet, Catholic priest and was one of the most famous liberation theologians of the Sandinista Regime.

Panama

Mexico

Isabel Fraire (1934–2015)
Nezahualcóyotl (1402–1472)
Juan Ruiz de Alarcón (1581–1639)
Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651–1695)
José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776–1827)
Ignacio Manuel Altamirano (1834–1893)
José Rosas Moreno (1838–1883)
Manuel Acuña (1849–1873)
Salvador Díaz Mirón (1853–1928)
Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera (1858–1895)
Amado Nervo (1870–1919)
Mariano Azuela (1873–1952)
Alfonso Reyes (1889–1959)
Bruno Traven (1890–1969)
Manuel Maples Arce (1898–1981)
Germán List Arzubide (1898–1998)
Carlos Pellicer (1899–1977)
Arqueles Vela (1899–1977)
Nellie Campobello (1900–1986)
Antonieta Rivas Mercado (1900–1931)
Esperanza Zambrano (1901–1992)
Xavier Villaurrutia (1903–1951)
Agustín Yáñez (1904–1980)
Salvador Novo (1904–1974)
Guadalupe Dueñas (1910–2002)
Octavio Paz (1914–1998)
José Revueltas (1914–1976)
Elena Garro (1917–1998)
Pita Amor (1918–2000)
Alí Chumacero (1918–2010)
Juan José Arreola (1918–2001)
Juan Rulfo (1918–1986)
Ricardo Garibay (1923–1999)
Rosario Castellanos (1925–1974)
Jaime Sabines (1926–1999)
Tomás Segovia (1927–2011)
Jorge Ibargüengoitia (1928–1983)
Amparo Dávila (1928–2020)
Carlos Fuentes (1928–2012)
Margo Glantz (born 1930)
Salvador Elizondo (1932–2006)
Elena Poniatowska (born 1932)
Juan García Ponce (1932–2003)
Vicente Leñero (1933–2014)
Sergio Pitol (1933–2018)
Gabriel Zaid (born 1934)
Fernando del Paso (1935–2018)
Carlos Monsiváis (1938–2010)
José Emilio Pacheco (1939–2014)
Jesús Gardea (1939–2000)
Homero Aridjis (born 1940)
Héctor Aguilar Camín (born 1946)
Paco Ignacio Taibo II (born 1949)
Ángeles Mastretta (born 1949)
Laura Esquivel (born 1950)
Luis Zapata (1951–2020)
Carmen Boullosa (born 1954)
Juan Villoro (born 1956)
Guillermo Arriaga (born 1958)
Malva Flores (born 1961)
Patricia Laurent Kullick (born 1962)
Elvia Ardalani (born 1963)
Sandra Cisneros

Rioplatenses

Argentina

Julio Cortázar, one of the leaders of the Latin American boom

Main article: List of Argentine writers

Paraguay

Uruguay

Main article: List of Uruguayan writers