Julio Cortazar

Julio Cortázar (1914–1984) was an Argentine writer, translator, and teacher. Born in Brussels to Argentine parents, he grew up near Buenos Aires. After training as a primary-school teacher, he taught at provincial schools and later lectured in French literature at the University of Mendoza. In 1951, he went to Paris on a French government scholarship and worked as a translator for UNESCO until 1974. His major works include the novel »Rayuela« (1963), published in English as »Hopscotch«, and numerous short stories. His work also encompasses poetry, plays, and short prose. From the 1960s onward, Cortázar was politically engaged, supporting, among other causes, the Cuban Revolution and the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua.