Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Miguel Ángel Asturias

Role / Field:

Guatemalan poet-diplomat whose work highlighted indigenous cultures and magical realism.

Born:

1899-10-19

Died:

1974-06-09

Century / Era:

1899s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Miguel Ángel Asturias Rosales (Spanish: [mi(ˈ)ɣel ˈaŋxel asˈtuɾjas]; 19 October 1899 – 9 June 1974) was a Guatemalan poet-diplomat, novelist, playwright and journalist. Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1967, his work helped bring attention to the importance of indigenous cultures, especially those of his native Guatemala. Asturias was born and raised in Guatemala though he lived a significant part of his adult life abroad. He first lived in Paris in the 1920s where he studied ethnology.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Some scholars view him as the first Latin American novelist to show how the study of anthropology and linguistics could affect the writing of literature. While in Paris, Asturias also associated with the Surrealist movement, and he is credited with introducing many features of modernist style such as magical realism into Latin American letters. In this way, he is an important precursor of the Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s. One of Asturias' most famous novels, El Señor Presidente, describes life under a ruthless dictator. It influenced later Latin American novelists in its mixture of realism and fantasy.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Asturias' very public opposition to dictatorial rule led to him spending much...

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• 1899 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1899
• October 19 (10-19) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 19
• 1974 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1974
• June 9 (06-09) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 9

Frequently Asked Questions about Miguel Ángel Asturias