Born in
Mexico City on November 11th, 1928. Novelist, screenplay writer and essayist. Graduate of the
UNAM (becoming
licenciado in
law). Studied
economics at in
Geneva,
Switzerland. Worked in Foreign Relations and was
México's
ambassador to
France from 1972 to 1976. Co-directed with
Octavio Paz the Obregón Literary Collection. Has collaborated on the Revista Mexicana de Literatura (Mexican Literature Magazine) (
founder and co-director with Emanuel Carballo), La Cultura en
México (Culture in
México) (
director), El Espectador (The Spectator) (
editor 1959-1960) and other major publications in the
United States,
Europe and
Latin America.
His works have
awarded him the following
prizes and
recognition: Premio Biblioteca Breve in 1967, for "Cambio de piel", Premio Xavier Villaurrutia in 1976 and Rómulo Gallegos in 1977, for "Terra Nostra", Premio Internacional Alfonso Reyes in 1979, Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes, for
Linguistics and
Literature in 1984, Doctor Honoris Causa by
Cambridge University in 1987, XIII Premio Miguel de Cervantes also in 1987, Literature Medal of Honor of the National Club of the Arts of the
United States in 1988, Orden de la Independencia Cultural
Rubén Darío, given to him by the
Sandinista government in 1988, Premio del Instituto Italolatinoamericano in 1989, for "Gringo viejo", Medalla de Oro from the organization Casita María by the Hispanic community of
New York in 1991, Medalla rectoral from the Universidad de
Chile, as creator and critic, for his role in the development of literature in
Latin America and the Caribbean (1991), Premio Príncipe de Asturias in 1994; Premio Internacional Grizane Cavor in 1994; Premio Picasso, given by
UNESCO in
France in 1994, and Doctorado Honoris Causa by the
UNAM in 1966.
His
works have been translated to many a language. He's been a member of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. as well as professor and lecturer at
Penn,
Columbia,
Cambridge,
Princeton and
Harvard.