Peruvian literature

Author: Liu Xiaomei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-02-01
Features: Peru is the birthplace of one of the two ancient civilizations in the Americas, the Inca culture. Its literary tradition was originally long-standing. However, due to the absence of writing until the arrival of Spanish colonizers and the devastation and destruction caused by long-term colonial rule, the original Quechua literary heritage has largely failed to survive. The only surviving complete ancient Quechua drama, Oyuntay, still exists thanks to the recording, organization, and refinement by Westerners. As a result, what is referred to as "Peruvian literature" actually refers to the Spanish-language literature that emerged during the 300-year period of Spanish colonial rule from the 16th century onward within the former territory of the Inca Empire. This literary tradition gradually shed the influence of the colonizing culture to develop its own national characteristics and, at different historical periods, produced a series of outstanding writers and poets, such as Garcilaso de la Vega, Ricardo Palma, César Vallejo, Ciro Alegría, José María Arguedas, Julio Barjola, and Alfredo Bryce Echenique, whose influence far extends beyond Peru's borders. Their works have become classics of Spanish-language literature, enriching the treasure trove of world literature.