Uruguay declared its independence from Brazil on Aug. 25, 1825. The South American country is one of the most progressive nations in the continent, recently passing laws legalizing marijuana and same sex marriage. Its writers are just as progressive:
Felisberto Hernandez (1902-1964) is considered one of the fathers of magic realism, paving the way for other Latin American novelists such as Julio Cortázar and Gabriel García Márquez, who said, “If I hadn’t read the stories of Felisberto Hernández in 1950, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today.” His short stories — including his most famous, “The Daisy Dolls” — are collected in the book Lands of Memory.
Juan Carlos Onetti (1909-1994) won the Cervantes Prize, one of the most prestigious awards given to Spanish language novelists. His novels, including La vida breve (A Brief Life) and El astillero (The Shipyard), feature characters struggling with the meaning of their lives.
Cristina Peri Rossi has added a feminist viewpoint to Latin American literature in her poetry, short stories and novels, including The Ship of Fools. She now lives in Spain, where she works as a journalist.
Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, The Village Voice, Amazon.com
The Hispanic Reader 