Octavio Paz

Who is Octavio Paz?

Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican poet, essayist, and diplomat born in Mexico City. He published his first poems as a teenager and went on to become one of the most influential writers in the Spanish language. His long poem 'Piedra de sol' and his landmark essay collection 'El laberinto de la soledad' (1950), an exploration of Mexican identity and psychology, are among his most celebrated works. Paz served in the Mexican diplomatic corps for many years, including as ambassador to India, but resigned in 1968 in protest against the government's massacre of student protesters at Tlatelolco. He founded influential literary magazines such as 'Plural' and 'Vuelta' and engaged deeply with politics, art, and philosophy. In 1990 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He remains a central figure in twentieth-century Latin American thought and letters.

Sources: Octavio Paz, 'El laberinto de la soledad' (1950) · The Nobel Prize in Literature 1990, Nobel Foundation