Octavio Paz

Octavio Paz (1914–1998) was a Mexican writer, essayist, and diplomat. He studied law and philosophy, worked as a teacher, and began publishing at the age of 17. In 1946 he joined Mexico’s diplomatic service and served in Paris, where he met André Breton and contributed to surrealist publications. From 1962 to 1968, Paz was Mexico’s ambassador to India. He resigned in protest after the massacre of protesting students in Mexico City. Among his best-known works is the essay The Labyrinth of Solitude. Paz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1990.