Mario Vargas Llosa, the prominent figure in Latin America’s 1960s literary scene, passed away on April 13, 2025, at the age of 89. Despite his death, he left behind a legacy of novels and essays spanning several decades, with his works translated into various languages. Vargas Llosa received honorary doctorates, prizes, and other awards throughout his life, including the highly esteemed Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010, which recognized his critique of power structures and the individual’s struggle for freedom.

In his acceptance speech at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Vargas Llosa highlighted the significance of reading and good literature in transcending boundaries and fostering progress. He emphasized that literature has the power to unite people by allowing them to share in the joys, sorrows, and surprises of others, regardless of their linguistic, cultural, or personal differences. In 2016, Vargas Llosa was included in France’s prestigious Bibliotheque de la Pleiade collection of universal classics translated into French, and in 2021, he became a member of the esteemed Academie Francaise.

A trailblazing voice in Latin American literature

Born in Arequipa, Peru, on March 28, 1936, Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa began his career as a teenager working as a local journalist in Lima. After attending a military academy and studying law and literature, he moved to Paris and started writing short stories in the late 1950s. Vargas Llosa’s first novel, “The Time of the Hero,” published in 1963, was an immediate success and established him as an important voice in Latin American literature.

Throughout the years, Vargas Llosa continued to write prolifically, offering readers numerous notable works like “The Green House,” “The War of the End of the World,” and “The Feast of the Goat.”

A politically engaged writer with a noble title

Vargas Llosa spent much of his life living abroad and teaching at universities in the US, South America, and Europe. He held the position of President of the PEN International association of writers from 1976 to 1979. Politically active throughout his career, Vargas Llosa first aligned with Marxist ideals but later became disillusioned with the movement and embraced liberal democracy. In 1990, he ran for the Peruvian presidency but was not elected.

Vargas Llosa received Spanish citizenship and was granted the title of Marquess of Vargas Llosa by King Juan Carlos I in 2011.

Private life in the public eye

Mario Vargas Llosa was married twice; his second marriage, to his first cousin Patricia, lasted over 50 years. However, in 2015, his relationship with Isabel Preysler, the ex-wife of singer Julio Iglesias and widow of Spain’s ex-economy minister Miguel Boyer, garnered significant public attention. He left his wife Patricia after 50 years of marriage, and in 2022, Preysler and Vargas Llosa separated.

A cosmopolitan writer with a passion for writing

Jürgen Dormagen, a longtime editor of Vargas Llosa’s work, described the author as a curious cosmopolitan who actively engaged with global phenomena. This was evident in Vargas Llosa’s politically engaged literature and his decision to run for the Peruvian presidency. In 2019, he published “Harsh Times,” a novel dealing with the 1954 coup in Guatemala, and in 2022, he released his first children’s book, “Fonchito and the Moon.” At the time of his death, he was working on a novel about popular Peruvian music.

In his own words, Vargas Llosa attributed his dedication to writing to his ex-wife Patricia, saying, “The only thing you’re good for is writing.” It was a comment he took as a compliment and a testament to his lifelong passion for writing.

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier