Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes is one of Latin America's most distinguished novelists and a one-man international cultural and political force. As a literary figure, he is legendary.

Born in 1928, Carlos Fuentes spent his youth in Washington, D.C., where his father was posted as a Mexican diplomatic representative. As a teen, Fuentes lived in Argentina and Chile, as well as his native Mexico. These early experiences gave Fuentes his unique hemispheric perspective and literary voice.

Few Latin American writers have such an intimate knowledge of Americans or see the American/Latin American cultural dynamic with the great depth of vision which Fuentes possesses. He is intimately in touch with both the gringo and Latin souls and speaks with a particularly international voice.

His prolific, eclectic fictions ranges from political spy thrillers to erotic ghost stories, from baroque world dream histories of the Spanish-speaking world to caustic indictments of the frozen Mexican revolution. Again and again, Fuentes has shown himself to be a pioneer of the "magical realism" style that has captivated readers and critics on both sides of the Rio Grande.

In 1992 this pre-eminent Mexican novelist authored The Buried Mirror and in that same year narrated the five-hour television series based on this work carried nationwide by the Discovery Channel. The book and series embraces a comprehensive history of the Hispanic world on both sides of the Atlantic and provides an understanding of the economic, political and cultural changes facing the growing Hispanic population in the U.S.

Fuentes has been celebrated around the globe as one of the world's leading literary figures. In 1984, Mr. Fuentes was honored with the National Prize in Literature, Mexico's highest literary award. In 1988 he was presented with Miguel de Cervantes Prize by King Juan Carlos of Spain, the most prestigious award bestowed on a Spanish-language writer.

Fuentes has also played a major role as a political figure. He is truly a citizen of the world. He crosses national boundaries as easily and as often as Americans cross the street. His political influence as an international statesman is nearly as great as his literary frame. He has served as Mexico's Ambassador to France and he was an active participant in the quest for peace in Central America. He is currently a member of Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights.

It was announced on February, 1999 that Fuentes would receive the Latin Civilization Award bestowed by the French Academy and the Brazilian academy. It is the first time the award will be presented, and honor the person who has done the most to promote Latin civilization.