This is a list of Puerto Rican literary figures, including poets, novelists, short story authors, and playwrights. It includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, and many long-term residents and/or immigrants who have made Puerto Rico their home, and who are recognized for their literary work. New entries must be placed in alphabetical order and follow the formatting for the list.
Considered by many to be the first Puerto Rican writer of notable importance.
Silvia Álvarez Curbelo, writer and historian
Alba Ambert, novelist
Ambert in 1996, became the first Hispanic author to win the Carey McWilliams Award for Multicultural Literature, presented by the Multicultural Review, for her novel A Perfect Silence.
Marta Aponte Alsina, storyteller, novelist and literary critic
Pedro I. Aponte Vázquez, historian, journalist, social scientist, professor and writer
Author of ¡Yo Acuso! Tortura y Asesinato de Don Pedro Albizu Campos.; Pedro Albizu Campos: Su persecución por el F.B.I.; Crónica de un encubrimiento: Albizu Campos y el caso Rhoads.; Locura por decreto: El papel de Luis Muñoz Marín y José Trías Monge en el diagnóstico de locura de don Pedro Albizu Campos.; El ataque Nacionalista a La Fortaleza; The Unsolved Case of Dr. Cornelius P. Rhoads: An Indictment.; Transición ; La hacienda; "Necator Americanus: O sobre la fisiología del caso Rhoads"
Delma S. Arrigoitia, historian, author
Arrigoitia was the first person in the University of Puerto Rico to earn a master's degree in the field of history. In 2010, her book, "Puerto Rico Por Encima de Todo: Vida y Obra de Antonio R. Barcelo, 1868–1938", was recognized among the best in the category of "research and criticism" and awarded a first place prize by the Ateneo Puertorriqueño.
Francisco Arriví, writer, poet, and playwright
Arriví is known as "The Father of the Puerto Rican Theater".''
Rane Arroyo, poet, playwright and scholar
Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro, an award-winning Puerto Rican novelist, short story writer and essayist.
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Lefty Barreto, novelist, author of autobiography Nobody's Hero
Janette Becerra, short-story writer, poet, professor, literary critic, and lawyer. Author of Doce versiones de soledad, Elusiones, and Antrópolis.
Emilio S. Belaval, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, and lawyer
Pura Belpré, author
First Puerto Rican librarian in New York City.
Samuel Beniquez, author
Author of the autobiographical book entitled: Tu alto precio... Mi gran valor.
María Bibiana Benítez, playwright
Benitez is one of Puerto Rico's "first" poetesses.
Alejandrina Benítez de Gautier, poet
Benítez de Gautier's collaboration with the "Aguinaldo Puertorriqueño" gave her recognition as a great poet.
Tomás Blanco, writer and historian
Blanco was the author of "Prontuario Historico de Puerto Rico" and "El Prejuicio Racial en Puerto Rico".
Juan Boria, Afro-Caribbean poet
Boria, also known as the Negro Verse Pharaoh, was a poet known for his Afro-Caribbean poetry.
Gerson Borrero, journalist, radio host and TV commentator in New York City. He has been editor-at-large of City & State NY and editor-in-chief of El Diario/La Prensa
Giannina Braschi, Author of Postmodern political philosophy, poetry, fiction, and drama. Wrote the first full length Spanglish novel. Titles: "Yo-Yo Boing!", "Empire of Dreams", and "United States of Banana".
Julia de Burgos, one of the greatest poets to have been born in Puerto Rico; author of "Yo misma fui mi ruta" and "Poema Río Grande de Loíza".
Pedro Cabiya, writer, poet and filmmaker. Author of the seminal Historias tremendas. Other books include Historias atroces, La cabeza, Malas hierbas, Trance, Crazy X-Ray Boomeranf Girl, Ánima Sola, Phantograms and Saga de Sandulce.
Mayra Calvani, writer
Zenobia Camprubí, writer/poet
Camprubí was also the wife of Nobel Prize winning author Juan Ramón Jiménez.
Nemesio Canales, essayist and poet
Luisa Capetillo, labor activist
Capetillo was one of Puerto Rico's most famous labor organizers. She was also a writer and an anarchist who fought for workers and women's rights.
Jaime Carrero, poet and playwright
N. Humberto Cintrón, novelist, author of
Frankie Christo
Joaquín Colón, author of
Pioneros puertorriqueños en Nueva York
Manuel Corchado y Juarbe, poet, journalist and politician
Corchado y Juarbe defended the abolition of slavery and the establishment of a University in Puerto Rico.
Juan Antonio Corretjer, poet
Corretjer was also a journalist and pro-independence political activist who opposed United States rule in Puerto Rico.
Zoé Corretjer Lloréns
Nicky Cruz, reverend
Cruz has written two autobiographies, Run Baby Run, with Jamie Buckingham, and Soul Obsession, with Frank Martin.
Victor Hernández Cruz, poet and essayist. Random House published Cruz's first poetry collection, Snaps, when he was nineteen.
Isabel Cuchí Coll, journalist and author
Cuchi Coll was the granddaughter of Cayetano Coll y Toste and niece of José Coll y Cuchí. She served as Director of the "Sociedad de Autores Puertorriqueño
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Ánjelamaría Dávila, poet
José Antonio Dávila, poet
Dávila was a well-known poet during Puerto Rico's postmodern era of poetry.
Virgilio Dávila, poet
Dávila is considered by many to be one of Puerto Rico's greatest representatives of the modern literary era.
Anjanette Delgado, novelist, author of "The Heartbreak Pill" and "The Clairvoyant of Calle Ocho." Twice winner of the International Latino Book Award.
Denis authored War Against All Puerto Ricans, published over 300 editorials as the Editorial Director of El Diario/La Prensa, and received the "Best Editorial Writing" award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
De Diego was then elected to the House of Delegates, the only locally elected body of government allowed by the U.S., and which De Diego presided from 1904 to 1917
Caridad de la Luz a.k.a. La Bruja is a poet, playwright, actress and activist.
She is also the writer/actor of Boogie Rican Blvd.
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Elizam Escobar poet, author and visual artist.
Sandra María Esteves, Nuyorican poet
Héctor Feliciano, author
Feliciano's book "The Lost Museum: The Nazi Conspiracy to Steal the World's Greatest Works of Art" has shed a light on an estimated 20,000 looted works; each one is owned by a museum or a collector somewhere.
Carole Fernández, novelist, author of Sleep of the Innocents
Manuel González Pató, educator and writer in the field of athletics
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Victor Hernández Cruz, poet
In 1969, Hernández Cruz became the first Hispanic to be published by a mainstream publishing house when Random House published his poem "Snaps". In 1981, Life Magazine named him one of America's greatest poets.
Eugenio María de Hostos a.k.a. "El Ciudadano de las Américas"
educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist, and independence advocate.
Quiara Alegría Hudes, playwright and author
She best known for writing the book for the Tony Award-winning musicalIn the Heights.
Elidio La Torre-Lagares, poet, novelist, essayist, author of Vicios de construcción
Tato Laviera, poet
Author of "AmeRícan".
Georgina Lázaro, children's poet
Muna Lee, writer
Born in Mississippi, was the first wife of Luis Muñoz Marín.
Aurora Levins Morales, writer
José Liboy Erba
José María Lima, poet, philosopher, mathematician, author of La sílaba en la piel
Dahlma Llanos Figueroa, writer, author of Daughters of the Stone, nominated and finalist for the 2010 PEN/America Bingham Award
Luis Lloréns Torres, poet
Washington Llorens, journalist, writer, linguist, and scholar
Luis López Nieves, writer
Ángel Lozada, novelist
Carmen Lugo Filippi, short-story writer
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Manuel Manrique, novelist, author of Island in Harlem
Hugo Margenat, poet
Margenat was also the founder of the political youth pro-independence organizations "Acción Juventud Independentista" and "Federación de Universitarios Pro Independencia".
René Marqués, playwright
Marqués wrote "La Carreta" which helped secure his reputation as a leading literary figure in Puerto Rico.
Manuel Martínez Maldonado, physician, poet, novelist, author of poetry books La voz sostenida and La novela del medio día and of the novel Isla Verde
Antonio Martorell, painter, graphic artist, writer and radio and television personality
Nemir Matos-Cintrón, poet, novelist
Francisco Matos Paoli, poet, critic, and essayist
Matos Paoli was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1977. He was also a Secretary General of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
Joserramón Melendes, poet
Concha Melendez, poet, writer
Jesús Papoleto Meléndez, poet
Manuel Méndez Ballester, writer
Nancy Mercado, poet, playwright
Mercado is the author of "It Concerns the Madness," seven theatre plays, and a number of essays. Her work has been extensively anthologized.
Luis Muñoz Marín, politician and poet
Nicholasa Mohr, writer
Her works, among which is the novel Nilda, tell of growing up in the Puerto Rican communities of the Bronx and El Barrio and of the difficulties Puerto Rican women face in the United States.
