Colombian literature, as an expression of the

culture of Colombia Many aspects of Colombian culture can be traced back to the early culture of Spain of the 16th century and its collision with Colombia's native civilizations (see: Muisca, Tayrona). The Spanish brought Catholicism, the feudal encomienda system, ...

, is heterogeneous due to the coexistence of

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, African and Native American heritages in an extremely diverse geography. Five distinct historical and cultural traditions can be identified, with their own socioeconomic history: the Caribbean coast, Greater Antioquia, the Cundinamarca-Boyacá Highlands, Greater Tolima and the Western Valley. Colombia produced one of the richest literatures of Latin America, as much for its abundance as for its variety and innovation during the 19th and 20th centuries. Colombian intellectuals who forged the literature of this period also contributed decisively to the consolidation of Latin American literature.

Conquest and early colonial period (1499-1810)

Under the Spanish Empire, major literary topics included conquest narratives, chronicles, religious devotion, and love themes. Some of the best-known authors of this period are: * Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1496Antijovio
/ref> -other sources state 1506 or 1509Graham (1922
page 2
/ref> Suesca, 16 February 1579) - First chronicler as he kept diaries of his own conquests, main conquistador of large parts of Colombia, may have been the (partial) author of '' Epítome de la conquista del Nuevo Reino de Granada'' (not published until 1889), his diaries were published in 1576 * Juan de Castellanos ( Alanís,

Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, 9 March 1522 - Tunja, November 1606) - Wrote the longest poem ever in the Spanish language, '' Elegías de varones ilustres de Indias'' (1589) * Pedro Simón ( San Lorenzo de la Parrilla,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, 1574 - Ubaté, ca. 1628) - Friar who wrote '' Noticias historiales de las conquistas de Tierra Firme en las Indias occidentales'' about the Spanish conquest in 1626 * Juan Rodríguez Freyle ( Bogotá, 25 April 1566 - Bogotá, 1642) - Spanish priest, wrote the extensive chronicle of the Spanish conquest of the Muisca; '' El Carnero'' ("The Sheep"), first published in 1638 * Hernando Domínguez Camargo (Bogotá, 1606 – Tunja, 1659) - Jesuit priest and writer. His work was influenced by the Spanish poet

Luis de Góngora Luis de Góngora y Argote (born Luis de Argote y Góngora; ; 11 July 1561 – 24 May 1627) was a Spanish Baroque lyric poet and a Catholic priest. Góngora and his lifelong rival, Francisco de Quevedo, are widely considered the most prominent ...

, in a cultural trend known as the Indias Baroque. His most recognized works are "Epic Poem to St Ignacio of Loyola" and "Bouquet of poetic flowers" *

Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita (1624, Bogotá – March 29, 1688) was a Spanish Neogranadine Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Panamá (1676–1688) ''(in Latin)'' and the Bishop of Santa Marta (1668–1676).Arzobispo de Pan ...

(Bogotá, 1624 —

Ciudad de Panamá Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

, 29 March 1688) - Published '' Historia general de las conquistas del Nuevo Reino de Granada'', a major work about the Spanish conquest and the

indigenous peoples of Colombia Indigenous peoples of Colombia, are the ethnic groups who have inhabited Colombia since before the European colonization, in the early 16th century. According to the last census, they comprise 4.4% of the country's population, belonging to 115 d ...

in 1676 * Francisco Álvarez de Velasco y Zorrilla (Bogotá, 1647 –

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

, 1708) - His main work was ''Rhytmica Sacra, Moral y Laudatiria''. His writings show admiration for the work of

Francisco de Quevedo Francisco Gómez de Quevedo y Santibáñez Villegas, Knight of the Order of Santiago (; 14 September 1580 – 8 September 1645) was a Spanish nobleman, politician and writer of the Baroque era. Along with his lifelong rival, Luis de Góngora ...

and

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Sor may refer to: * Fernando Sor (1778–1839), Spanish guitarist and composer * Sor, Ariège, a French commune * SOR Libchavy, a Czech bus manufacturer * Sor, Azerbaijan, a village * Sor, Senegal, an offshore island * Sor River, a river in the Oro ...

* Francisca Josefa de Castillo y Guevara (Tunja, 1671 – Tunja, 1742) -

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

, recognized as one of the most important female authors of

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...

for her ''Afectos espirituales'' and her ''Vida'' (memoirs).

Emancipation and national consolidation (1780-1830)

During the process of independence, Colombian literature was strongly influenced by the political motivations of the moment. The main literary movements were close to

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. During the nineteenth century, political writing was led by Simón Bolívar. Local journalism was initiated by

Antonio Nariño Antonio Amador José de Nariño y Álvarez del Casal (Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia 1765 – 1824 Villa de Leyva, Colombia)Hector, M., and A. Ardila. Hombres y mujeres en las letras de Colombia. 2. Bogota: Magisterio, 2008. 25. Print. was a C ...

. The Colombian government established the first Academy of Spanish language in the American continent, in 1871. Other relevant authors were: * Camilo Torres Tenorio * Francisco Antonio Zea. * José Fernández Madrid (February 19, 1789 – June 28, 1830).

Costumbrismo

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the main topic in Colombian literature was the colourful depiction of peasant life, tied to strong criticism of society and government. This type of literature was called costumbrista literature. Some of the authors of this period are: * Tomás Carrasquilla * Adolfo León Gómez * José María Cordovez Moure * Eustaquio Palacios * Jorge Isaacs *Julio Arboleda *Gregorio Gutiérrez González * Rafael Pombo * Soledad Acosta * Josefa Acevedo de Gomez * Candelario Obeso * Manuel Ancízar

Modern literature

Modernismo and modernism are reactions against the previous literature of Romanticism. Modernism's main topics are ugliness and mystery. The main modern writers are: * Emilia Ayarza * Jose Eustasio Rivera * Rafael Maya * León de Greiff * Luis Vidales * Luis Carlos López *

Germán Arciniegas Germán Arciniegas Angueyra (December 6, 1900 - November 29, 1999) was a Colombian historian, writer and journalist who was known for his advocacy of educational and cultural issues, as well as his outspoken opposition to dictatorship. He also se ...

* Porfirio Barba-Jacob * José María Vargas Vila

Stone and Sky (Piedra y Cielo)

The industrialization process in Latin America during the twentieth century generated new literary movements such as the poetic movement named “Piedra y cielo” (1939). Its main authors are: * Eduardo Carranza *Jorge Gaitán Durán *Jorge Rojas *Arturo Camacho Ramírez *Augusto Pinilla

Nothing-ism (Nadaísmo)

The violent events in Colombia during the 1940s and 1950s, such as

La Violencia ''La Violencia'' (, The Violence) was a ten-year civil war in Colombia from 1948 to 1958, between the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party, fought mainly in the countryside. ''La Violencia'' is considered to have begu ...

and the military government of

Gustavo Rojas Pinilla Gustavo Rojas Pinilla (12 March 1900 – 17 January 1975) was a Colombian Army general, civil engineer and dictator who ruled as 19th President of Colombia as from June 1953 to May 1957. Rojas Pinilla gained prominence as a colonel during L ...

, as well as a considerable urban expansion, influenced in the formation of the ''Nadaísta'' (Nothing-ist) movement, which was the Colombian expression of numerous avant-garde-like movements in the poetry of the Americas during the 1950s and 60s (such as the * Beat Generation in the United States and the ''Tzanticos'' in Ecuador). '' Nadaísmo'' included elements of

existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

and nihilism, a dynamic incorporation of city life, and a generally irreverent, iconoclastic flavor. Authors who were part of this movement include: *

Gonzalo Arango Gonzalo Arango Arias (Andes, Antioquia, 1931 – Gachancipá, Cundinamarca, 1976) was a Colombian writer, poet, and journalist. In 1958 he led a modern literary and cultural movement known as Nadaísmo (Nothing-''ism''), inspired by surr ...

* Jotamario Arbeláez * Eduardo Escobar * Fanny Buitrago * Patricia Ariza * Jaime Jaramillo Escobar

The Boom

The

Latin American Boom The Latin American Boom ( es, Boom latinoamericano) 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 mo ...

was a prolific period for Colombian literature. *

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...

* Eduardo Caballero Calderón *

Manuel Mejía Vallejo Manuel Mejía Vallejo (23 April 1923 – 23 July 1998) was a Colombian writer and journalist. The specialist Luís Carlos Molina says that Mejía represents the Andean aspect of the contemporary Colombian narrative, characterized by a world ...

Álvaro Mutis Álvaro Mutis Jaramillo (August 25, 1923 – September 22, 2013) was a Colombian poet, novelist, and essayist. His best-known work is the novel sequence '' The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll'', which revolves around the character ...

* Manuel Zapata Olivella * Andres Caicedo * Alfredo Iriarte *

* Álvaro Cepeda Samudio

Contemporary authors

Disillusioned Generation / Generación Desencantada

This generation groups a broad and ambiguous list of writers, poets who began to publish after the ''Nadaísmo'' movement (see above) in the 1970s. Poets like Giovanni Quessep, Harold Alvarado Tenorio, Juan Gustavo Cobo Borda, Elkin Restrepo, José Manuel Arango, Darío Jaramillo Agudelo, Augusto Pinilla, María Mercedes Carranza, and Juan Manuel Roca among many others, have been considered part of this generation, although they have differences in style, themes and ideology.

Recent generations

Some writers like Cristian Valencia, Alberto Salcedo Ramos and Jorge Enrique Botero, have written literary journalism, close to Gonzo style. In fiction there are authors like Hector Abad Faciolince, Santiago Gamboa, Orlando Echeverri Benedetti, Juan Sebastian Cardenas, Nahum Montt, Miguel Mendoza Luna, Sebastian Pineda Buitrago, Mauricio Loza, Ignacio Arroyave Piedrhíta, Antonio Garcia,

Mario Mendoza Mario Mendoza Aizpuru (born December 26, 1950) is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder. Mendoza, a lifetime .215 hitter, is best known for being the source of the name for the threshold for batting ineptitude, the " Mendoza Line", ...

, James Canon, Ricardo Abdahllah, Juan Pablo Plata, Evelio Rosero Diago, Antonio Ungar, Laura Restrepo, Ruben Varona, William Ospina, David Alberto Campos, Oscar Perdomo Gamboa, Juan Esteban Constain, Juan Álvarez, Andrés Del Castillo, Antonio Iriarte Cadena, Esmir Garcés, Antonieta Villamil, Winston Morales, Efraim Medina Reyes, Ricardo Silva Romero and many others.

Recent poetry

In recent decades, in Colombia there has been a significant number of poets of importance, who deal with urban issues and anti-poetry. Among them are Antonieta Villamil, Andrea Cote, Lucia Estrada, Felipe García Quintero, whose poetry has been recognized internationally.

Poetry

* Emilia Ayarza * José Asunción Silva * Porfirio Barba-Jacob * Piedad Bonnet * Antonieta Villamil * José Fernández Madrid * Jorge Isaacs * Rafael Pombo * Zacarías Reyán * Julio Flórez

Children's literature

Some of the characters most recognized in Colombian children's literature and the popular imaginary are the

stock characters A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or a film whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. There is a wide range of st ...

created by Rafael Pombo, which are often found in nursery rhymes, familiar folk tales and in the textbooks for elementary school. Other important children literature authors are: * Jairo Anibal Niño: with his works "La alegria de querer" (The joy of love), "Razzgo, Indo y Zas", "Catalino Bocachica" among others * Euclides Jaramillo: with the "Tales of Uncle rabbit" * From the 1980s, young adult fiction authors Gloria Cecilia Díaz, Irene Vasco, Evelio José Rosero, Yolanda Reyes and Pilar Lozano introduced new subjects for the genre such as conflict, kidnapping, death and fear. * Recent picture book voices include the work of Ivar da Coll, Claudia Rueda, Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng File:Rinrinrenacuajo.jpg, ''El renacuajo paseador'' ("The tripping tadpole", also known as " Rin Rin the tadpole") File:Pastorcitapombo.jpg, ''Pastorcita'' ("Sheep keeper girl") File:Michinthecat.jpg, ''El Gato bandido'' ("The bandit cat", also known as "Michin the cat") File:Pobreviejecita.jpg, ''La pobre Viejecita'' ("Poor old Lady") File:Dumbsimonpombo.jpg, ''Simón el Bobito'' ("Little dumb Simon")