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Colombian literature, as an expression of the Culture of Colombia, is heterogeneous, tropical and diverse due to the struggle between the Spanish, African and Native American heritages.
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Colonial literature
Under the Spanish Empire, the main topic of the local literature was religious. Some of the main authors of this period are:
- Hernando Domínguez Camargo (Bogotá, 1606 - Tunja, 1659), Jesuit priest and writer. His work was influenced by the Spanish poet Luis de Góngora, 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”.
- Francisco Álvarez de Velasco y Zorrilla (Bogotá, 1647 - Madrid, 1708). His main work was Rhytmica Sacra, Moral y Laudatiria. His writings show admiration for the work of Francisco de Quevedo and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
- Francisca Josefa del Castillo. Tunjan nun, recognized as one of the most important female authors of mysticism.
- Juan de Castellanos. Wrote the longest poem ever in the Spanish language, Elegías de Varones Ilustres de Indias.
- Juan Rodríguez Freyle. Spanish priest, wrote the extensive chronicle of colonial life El Carnero (The Billygoat).
Post-independence literature
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.
During the nineteenth century, political writing was led by Simón Bolívar. Local journalism was initiated by Antonio Nariño. The Colombian government established the first Academy of Spanish language in the American continent, in 1871.
Other relevant authors were:
- Camilo Torres
- 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
- 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:
- Jose Eustasio Rivera
- Rafael Maya
- León de Greiff
- Luis Vidales
- Luis Carlos López
- Germán Arciniegas
- 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
Nothing-ism (Nadaismo)
The violent events in Colombia during the 1940s and 1950s, such as La Violencia and the military government of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, resulted in the Nothing-ist movement, which is the local interpretation of existentialism and nihilism in literature. Authors of this movement are:
- Gonzalo Arango
- Jotamario Arbeláez
- Eduardo Escobar
- Fanny Buitrago
- Amílcar Osorio
- Humberto Navarro
- Taylor Hamilton
- Kaleigh Mendonca
The Boom
The Latin American Boom was a prolific period for Colombian literature.
- Gabriel García Márquez
- Eduardo Caballero Calderón
- Manuel Mejía Vallejo
- Álvaro Mutis
- Manuel Zapata Olivella
- Andres Caicedo
- Alfredo Iriarte
- Germán Arciniegas
- Álvaro Cepeda Samudio
- Nicole Kammerer
Contemporary authors
- Germán Castro Caycedo
- Daniel Samper Pizano
- Fernando Vallejo
- Laura Restrepo
- Juan B Gutierrez
- José Manuel Arango
- Giovanni Quessep
- Harold alvarado tenorio
- Juan Gustavo Cobo Borda
- María Mercedes Carranza
- Raúl Gómez Jattin
- Elkin Restrepo
- Germán Espinosa
- David Sánchez Juliao
- Rafael Humberto Moreno Durán
- Juan Gustavo Cobo Borda
- Jorge Franco
- Estela Duran
- Ricardo Silva Romero
- Héctor Abad Faciolince
- Rafael Chaparro Madiedo
New Literature
- Juan Gabriel Vásquez
- Antonio Ungar
- Germán Bula
- Ricardo Abdahllah
- Mario Medoza
- Mauricio Becerra
- Margarita Posada
- Jorge Aristizábal
- Juan Carlos Garay
- Carolina Sanín
- Eduardo Bechara
- Efraím Medina Reyes
Poetry
- José Asunción Silva
- Porfirio Barba-Jacob
- Piedad Bonnet
- José Fernández Madrid
- Jorge Isaacs
- Rafael Pombo
- Zacarías Reyán
Children's literature
Some of the characters most recognized in Colombian children's literature and the popular imaginary are the stock characters created by Rafael Pombo, which are often found in nursery rhymes, familiar folk tales and in the textbooks for elementary school.
 "El renacuajo paseador" (The tripping tadpole also known as Rin Rin the tadpole) |
 "Pastorcita" (Sheep keeper girl) |
 "El Gato bandido" (The bandit cat, also known as Michin the cat) |
 "La pobre Viejecita" (Poor old Lady) |
 "Simón el Bobito" (Little dumb Simon) |
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".
See also
References and external links
- www.monografias.com
- editthis.info/literatura_colombiana
- [Forthcoming book on violence in contemporary Colombian fiction and cinema: http://www.boydell.co.uk/55661780.HTM]
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