Peru declared its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821. The South American country is best known for Machu Picchu, and actors Benjamin Bratt and Henry Ian Cusick of Lost and Scandal claim Peruvian heritage. Here’s a look at some of its writers:
A leader in the Latin American boom in literature of the 1960s, Mario Vargas Llosa has won every major literary honor – the Nobel Prize; the Cervantes Prize, given to Spanish-language writers; and the Rómulo Gallegos Prize. Many of his books — including 1993’s Death in the Andes and 2000’s The Feast of the Goat — cover political issues, but a popular favorite is the 1982 comic novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.
Washington Post writer Marie Arana, who grew up in both Peru and the United States, drew upon on her bicultural heritage for her memoir, American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood. Her novels, Lima Nights and Cellophane, take place in Peru. Her most recent book, Bolivar: American Liberator, is a critically acclaimed biography of the South American military leader.
Lima-born Daniel Alarcón is the author of several books, including War by Candlelight, Lost City Radio and the upcoming At Night We Walk in Circles. He also runs the Radio Ambulante podcast. Also originally from Lima, Natalia Sylvester, right, will release her first novel, Chasing the Sun, next year. She now lives in Texas. (After I wrote this, I discovered award-winning children’s author Monica Brown is Peruvian-American. Here’s her website.)
The Hispanic Reader 
Thank you so much for including me, Jessica, and more importantly, for this wonderful list of writers. I wasn’t familiar with Marie Arana’s work but am looking forward to reading her memoir, and also listening to Daniel Alcaron’s podcast!
Just realized I switched the letters around in his name…meant to say Alarcón!