Every year from September 15 to October 15, North American people observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating their history, cultures, and contributions to North American citizens whose heritage comes from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America.

Well-read and educated people know that a diverse culture makes one’s culture even stronger and richer! The benefits of a multi-cultural country or region are immeasurable for example it allows more understanding and respect for cultural differences and people. You know the normal so that you don’t get boxed into a stereotype or attacked at the supermarket for speaking Spanish. Another great example: you get to learn another language! Stop being so self-centered thinking that you don’t need to learn another language. Imagine being able to read in English and Spanish!

That being said let’s know more about incredible Hispanic authors for this celebration! Let us observe their careers and contributions to literature and society!

Isabel Allende

She was born in Peru and raised in Chile. She is most known for her debut novel “The House of the Spirits”. However, she has way more books that are worth reading! A diverse reader is aware of who she is, and happily, if you don’t speak Spanish, you can read the translated versions since they have been translated into more than 35 languages. You see… culture, diversity, and education!

The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

Mario Vargas Llosa

Born in Peru but studied in Madrid, Spain, and lived in Paris. Published for the first time back in 1959, he started to gain relevance with his story collection “The Cubs and Other Stories“. However, his controversial novel, “The Time of the Hero” was highly controversial as it included political comments about his country., so the Peruvian military burned a thousand copies of the book.

Harsh Times by Mario Vargas Llosa (Tiempos Recios por Mario Vargas Llosa)

Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa (Muerte en los Andes por Mario Vargas Llosa)

The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa (La fiesta del Chivo por Mario Vargas Llosa)

Julia Alvarez

Born in the Dominican Republic, but moved to the United States in the 60s when she was 10. She has written multiple novels and she has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine. “In the Time of the Butterflies “ was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and Obama Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez

Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Born in Mexico currently living in Canada. She is the author of multiple acclaimed novels like “Mexican Gothic“. She has worked editing several anthologies, but she is also the publisher of the Innsmouth Free Press. Silvia works as a columnist for The Washington Post.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Gabriel García Márquez

If you want to understand a huge part of Latin America, then you have to read his novels! Gabriel García Márquez was born in Colombia back in 1927 and sadly passed in 2014. He was a novelist and a journalist, and his work as a journalist inspired a few stories like “Of Love and Other Demons“. The publication of the novel “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” gave him the extra push to be finally awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Patricia Engel

Patricia Engel has won prizes for her books like the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, International Latino Book Award, Florida Book Award, International Latino Book Award, and the Independent Publisher Book Award. She was also named the New York Times Editor’s Chose, Amazon Best Book of the Month, San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year, and her latest book was picked by a celebrity and her book club. A real professional in the field of literature has seen the powers of her storytelling, so this is a great novelist to try.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

The Veins of the Ocean by Patricia Engel

It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris, by Patricia Engel

Carolina De Robertis

Carolina De Robertis is an Uruguayan author; she is famous for multiple titles like Cantoras, winner of a Stonewall Book Award, and a Reading Women Award. However, other of her titles have awarded her the Lambda Literary Award, Stonewall Book Awards, Italy’s Rhegium Julii Prize, and also they have been chosen for the New York Times Editors’ Choice. Her novels are widely read and they have been translated into 17 different languages.

The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis

The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis

The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis

Other Authors to consider

Angie Cruz

New York-born Dominicana author who traveled to and from NYC to D.R. when growing up. Her firsts two novels, Soledad and Let It Rain Coffee, were published by Simon & Schuster. Her novel, Dominicana was inspired by her mother’s arrival story. She has been awarded many honors like The New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship, the Pittsburgh Foundation Fellowship, the NALAC Fellowship.

Gabriela Garcia

Gabriela Garcia is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award and a Steinbeck Fellowship from San Jose State University. Gabriela is the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Cuba and grew up in Miami. Of Women and Salt is her debut novel, and you can read excellent commentaries about it here .

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

Domicana by Angie Cruz