Skip to content
  • Common Currency
  • Campaigns
    • PENWrites
    • Writers at Risk
    • Writers in Residence
    • Free speech in the UK
  • News
  • Events
  • Translation
    • PEN Translates
    • PEN Transmissions
    • International Translation Day
    • The World Bookshelf
      • Books
      • Authors
      • Translators
    • PEN Presents
      • Issues
      • Books
      • Apply to PEN Presents
  • Prizes
    • PEN Pinter Prize
    • PEN Ackerley Prize
    • PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize
  • Donate
  • Join
Home > Campaigns > Cuban writers past and present

Cuban writers past and present

To read Cuban writer Leonardo Padura’s top 10 Cuban novels (The Guardian, 2 March 2009), please click here.

 

Here is a list of Cuban writers, past and present, including novelists, poets, and critics:

 

• Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990), openly gay poet, novelist, and playwright, author of Antes que anochezca
• Silvestre de Balboa y Troya de Quesada, (1563-1649), author of Espejo de Paciencia (1608), first known Cuban narrative poem
• Miguel Barnet, anthropologist and testimonialist
• Antonio Benitez-Rojo (1931-), author and critic
• Pedro Luis Boitel (1931-1972), poet and dissident
• Mariano Brull (1891-1956), postmodern poet
• Lydia Cabrera (1899-1991), anthropologist and poet
• Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1929-2005), novelist, author of Tres tristes tigres
• Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980), novelist, author of El reino de este mundo
• Julián del Casal, 19th century poet
• Ernesto Juan Castellanos (1963-), English translator, journalist, and author of Los Beatles en Cuba: Un viaje mágico y misterioso , El sargento Pimienta vino a Cuba en un submarino amarillo , La guerra se acaba – si tú quieres, and John Lennon en La Habana with a little help from my friends
• Daína Chaviano, novelist and short-story writer
• Enrique Cirules (1938- ), novelist and essayist, author of El Imperio de La Habana
• Edmundo Desnoes, novelist, author of Memorias del Subdesarrollo
• Jesús Díaz (1941-2002), novelist, filmmaker, and intellectual, founder of the influential cultural magazine Encuentro
• Eliseo Diego (1920-1996), poet
• Eliseo Alberto Diego, novelist, son of Eliseo Diego (above)
• Norberto Fuentes (1943-), author and journalist
• Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda (1814-1873), novelist, playwright, and poet, author of Sab (1842) and Baltasar (1858)
• Nicolás Guillén (1902-1989), Afro-Cuban poet
• Pedro Juan Gutiérrez (1950-) “dirty realist” novelist, poet, and painter
• José María Heredia y Heredia (1803-1839), poet
• Carilda Oliver Labra (1924-), poet
• José Lezama Lima (1910-1976), novelist and poet, author of Paraíso
• Dulce María Loynaz (1902-1997), poet
• Roberto Manzano (1949-) poet
• José Martí (1853-1895), poet, journalist, critic, translator, and patriot
• Nancy Morejón (1944-), Afro-Cuban poet
• Juan Cristobal Napoles Fajardo (1829-1862), writer of Siboneyista poetry
• Heberto Padilla (1932-2000), poet
• Leonardo Padura Fuentes (1955-), novelist and journalist
• Virgilio Piñera (1912-1979), author, playwright, poet, short-story writer and essayist
• Caridad Piñeiro (1958 – ), author of paranormals, romances and women’s fiction
• José Ignacio Rivero (1920-), exiled journalist
• Raúl Rivero (1945-), dissident poet and journalist
• Severo Sarduy (1937-1993), neobaroque poet
• Ana María Simo, playwright, essayist and lesbian activist.
• Gabriel de la Concepción Valdez (1809-1844), soldier and poet, author of “Plegaria a Dios”
• Zoé Valdés (1959-), novelist
• Amir Valle (1967- ), journalist and novelist
• Cirilio Villaverde, novelist, author of Cecilia Valdes (1882)
• Héctor Zumbado, writer, journalist, humorist, and critic

 

Originally posted with the url: www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/campaigns/cubacampaign/cubanwriterspastandpresent/

Join our mailing list

Sign up to receive the latest English PEN news and events.

SIGN UP
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Partners
  • Outreach
  • Jobs
  • Contact us

With thanks to our Core Funders

©1921 - 2023

English PEN is a company limited by guarantee number 5747142 (England & Wales) and a registered charity, number 1125610.

We use cookies to help us improve your experience on our website. By closing this notification or interacting with the website you agree to our use of cookies. ACCEPT Find out more
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT