Uruguayan Literature

The Uruguayan literature has a certain special stamp, initially with a Europeanist influence, and over time taking on its own identity.

History

The revolution and the classicists 1811-1838

Uruguayan poetry was born with Bartolomé Hidalgo, initiator of the gaucho current and author of the famous cielitos that portrayed what was happening at the time, especially in warfare. The first poems were copied on single sheets and recited from memory, which allowed them to endure over time.

This is how gaucho poetry began and later gaucho poetry, with a great presence in the country's literary history, which will persist until today. On the other hand, Classismo, of European origin, arose with impetus, reaching great popularity and an important number of followers, among them Francisco Acuña de Figueroa, author of the National Anthem, Petrona Rosende, Bernardo Prudencio Berro, Francisco Araucho, Manuel Araucho, Carlos Villademoros, Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga, José Benito Lamas, José Benito Monterroso, Miguel Barreiro, Lucas Obes, Santiago Vázquez, José Ellauri, among others.

Early Romanticism 1838-1868

Romanticism arrived in Uruguay at the hands of Esteban Echeverría and the other Argentine writers who fled the regime of Juan Manuel de Rosas and settled in Colonia and Montevideo. The so-called "Generation of El Initiador" or "Generation of 37" influences the young scholars of the time who begin to publish their poems in local newspapers and magazines.

Adolfo Berro is considered the first Uruguayan romantic poet, who gives romantic poetry a social and political aspect and dies of pneumonia at the age of 22. This movement extended until well into the 20th century and had more than sixty-five writers who worked on poetry, narrative and theater, among which Melchor Pacheco y Obes, Juan Carlos Gómez, Alejandro Magariños Cervantes, Francisco Xavier de Acha, Ramón de Santiago, Heraclio Fajardo, Eduardo Gordon, Pedro P. Bermúdez, Manuel Luciano Acosta, Bernardo Berro, Andrés Lamas, Gonzalo Ramírez, Carlos María Ramírez, José Pedro Varela, Elbio Fernández, Juan Zorrilla de San Martín, among others.

Realism, romanticism and ideological struggle 1868-1898

The last half of the 19th century is marked by ideological conflicts between Blancos and Colorados. Added to Classicism, Romanticism and Gaucho Poetry is Realism, which will portray in meticulous detail what happened at the time. Among the authors of this movement are Eduardo Acevedo Díaz, author of important realistic novels, Daniel Muñoz and Carlos Roxlo. Outstanding in poetry, theater and essays are Aurelio Berro, José Sienra y Carranza, Rafael Fragueiro, Juan Zorrilla de San Martín, José G. del Busto, Washington Bermúdez, Victoriano Montes, Joaquín de Salterain, Ricardo Sánchez, Santiago Maciel, Víctor Arreguine, Antonio Lussich, Elías Regules, Alcides de María, Samuel Blixen, Orosman Moratorio, Víctor Pérez Petit, Elías Regules, Abdon Arosteguy, Carlos María Ramírez, Santiago Maciel, Manuel Bernardez, Domingo Arena, Benjamin Fernández y Medina, Víctor Arreguine, José Pedro Varela, Ángel Floro Costa, Francisco Bauzá, Luis Melian Lafinur, Isidoro de María, Teófilo Díaz, Gregorio Pérez Gomar, Julio Herrera y Obes, Juan Carlos Blanco, Mariano Soler, Justino Jiménez de Aréchaga, Agustín de Vedia, Francisco Berra, Antonio F. Díaz, Clemente Fregeiro.

Generation of the 900

Around 1900, the first Literary Generation, known as the “Generation of 900”, arose in Montevideo. Of great importance inside and outside the country, its members are still considered great exponents of poetry, short narrative and theater. It is called that because most of its members began to publish around the year 1900, in magazines such as "La nueva Atlántida", "La revista del Salto", " Modern life", among others. They also make up different cenacles, among which stand out "El consistorio del gay saber", founded by Horacio Quiroga, "La torre de los Panoramas", by Julio Herrera y Reissig or the meetings at the home of Carlos Vaz Ferreira.

The generation has a notable influence from Modernism and even Rubén Darío maintained relations of friendship and admiration with several of the Uruguayan writers, especially with Delmira Agustini and José Enrique Rodó.

In Poetry, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Roberto de las Carreras, María Eugenia Vaz Ferreira, Delmira Agustini, Roberto Sienra, Álvaro Armando Vasseur, José Alonso y Trelles, Emilio Frugoni, Pablo Minelli, Juan J. Ylla-Moreno, Ángel stand out Falco, Ovidio Fernández Ríos, while in theater the most important exponents are Florencio Sánchez and Ernesto Herrera.

For their part, in short narrative the names of Javier de Viana, Carlos Reyles, Horacio Quiroga, Ernesto Herrera, Víctor Pérez Petit, Otto Miguel Cione, Mateo Margariños Solsona are the most remembered.

In Criticism and Essay, José Enrique Rodó, Víctor Pérez Petit, Carlos Vaz Ferreira, Carlos Roxlo, Rafael Barret, Carlos Reyles, Roberto Sienra, Pedro Figari, Alberto Nin Frías, Eduardo Acevedo, Luis Alberto de Herrera, Hugo Barbagelata stand out.

Centennial Generation

The Centennial Generation maintains great validity beyond the death of its authors or the lack of publication of these and is taken up again half a century later by the «Generation of 45». However, in Uruguay other important movements arise, which give authors of relevance for letters. The closest is the "Generation of the Centennial", a movement that is above all poetic and narrative, where "Criollismo" is strongly installed, whose main authors are Francisco Espínola, Juan José Morosoli and Serafín J. García. For its part, poetry that is less and less Modernist and becomes little by little closer to the Vanguards stands out with Juana de Ibarbourou, Clara Silva, Esther de Cáceres, Emilio Oribe, Juan Parra del Riego, Alfredo Mario Ferreiro, among others.

The fantastic narrative, which has its precarious beginnings with the stories of Javier de Viana and Horacio Quiroga, reaches a high point of technique with Felisberto Hernández.

Generation of '45

Towards the middle of the century, the so-called «Generation of 45» or «Critical Generation» arose, a group of prominent authors who dedicate themselves both to production and to literary criticism and teaching. It was born around the figures of Carlos Quijano, political godfather of the Generation and Juan Carlos Onetti, literary godfather. The ideological construction of this Generation, which determines what type of literature corresponds to the moment of the country, how to write it, what topics to deal with, how to do it, among other points, was installed with such force that it persists with validity even well into the century. XXI.

Notable among its authors are Mario Benedetti, Idea Vilariño, Carlos Martínez Moreno, Ángel Rama, Carlos Real de Azúa, Emir Rodríguez Monegal, Carlos Maggi, Armonía Somers, Homero Alsina Thevenet, Mario Arregui, José Pedro Díaz, Amanda Berenguer, Ida Vitale, among others.

The 1960s

The 1960s were fraught with social convulsions that preceded the 1973 coup d'état and that reflected the state of dissatisfaction with which people lived. Student protests, union strikes, university strikes and the notorious presence of the MLN-Tupamaros are some of the milestones that characterize these years. Literature does not escape these processes, so it becomes more committed, not only with the national but with an ideology that encompasses all of Latin America, and acquires a more political and social tone.

Above all, poetry and theater turn to a literature of protest, which leaves authors such as Mauricio Rosencof, Antonio Larreta, Ibero Gutiérrez, Hiber Conteris, Eduardo Galeano, Cristina Peri Rossi, Jacobo Langsner, Alfredo Fressia, Clemente Padín, Ricardo Prieto, Dino Armas, among others.

Many of them had to go into exile or were imprisoned during the Dictatorship. For their part, the authors of the "Generation of '45" continue to produce and many of them will also have to leave the country.

The Civic-Military Dictatorship that spans the 70s and the mid-1980s means a transcendental break for Uruguayan literature, since many authors are banned or exiled, but nonetheless, it drives many young people to stop against the regime and establish new discursive voices. In 1980 and regarding the Plebiscite that says No to the military, "Grupo Uno" emerged, made up of young poets with outstanding performance work, including Luis Bravo, Julio Inverso, Andrea Blanqué, among others.

Fantastic literature becomes more personal and intimate with Mario Levrero and creates a legacy of authors that includes Lauro Marauda and Felipe Polleri, among others.

The end of the century and the Late Generation

The 1980s and 1990s represented the rise of narrative for Uruguayan letters, with the so-called "Late Generation" and authors who achieve great national and international recognition,^{[citation required]} among them Tomás de Mattos, Mario Delgado Aparaín, Henry Trujillo, Rafael Courtoisie, Hugo Burel, Alicia Migdal, Roberto Echavarren, Amir Hamed, Carlos Rehermann, Ercole Lissardi, Leo Maslíah, Carlos Liscano, Claudia Amengual, among others.

For its part, national cinema begins to screen adaptations of Uruguayan books, such as El dirigible, linked to the figure of Juan Carlos Onetti, El viaje hacia el mar, based on a story by Juan José Morosoli, " The pale man", homonymous film based on a story by Francisco Espínola, "The wait", inspired by the novel "Torquator", by Henry Trujillo and later Bad day to fish, based on a story by Juan Carlos Onetti, "Miss Tacuarembó", inspired by the homonymous novel by Dani Umpi or La delay, based on a story by Laura Santullo.

The 21st century

The last years of Uruguayan literature are characterized by a heterogeneity of styles, genres and authors and a marked tendency towards performance and interrelationships with other artistic manifestations. Various gatherings of young poetry, the increase in independent publishing labels, the growth in book fairs and exhibitions, and the development of information and communication technologies have enabled many authors to find a place to express themselves.

In the first decade, authors as diverse as Juan Andrés Ferreira, Horacio Cavallo, Dani Umpi, Lalo Barrubia, Rodolfo Santullo, Pedro Peña, Laura Santullo, Daniel Mella or Diego Recoba, among many others, stand out. In the second decade, the process of editorial diversification and the distribution of literature led to new publishers and new writers to bookstores in the country and abroad. The Independent and Alternative Book Fair (F.L.I.A.) had its first edition in Montevideo in 2012, bringing together thousands of readers and dozens of writers and publishers. This was followed by a shower of fairs and small editorial meetings in a large part of the country: the Ideas+ fair, the San José Fair, the Maldonado Fair, as well as the International Book Fair held in the country's capital. Publishers such as HUM/Estuario, Criatura Editora, La Propia Cartonera, Irrupciones Grupo Editora, Yaugurú and Estampita Records stand out by publishing young authors and giving them international projection. In this decade, performative poetry and the exploration of new genres and themes take center stage with authors such as Martín Barea Mattos, Hoski, Santiago Pereira, Álvaro Lema Mosca or Sofía Rosa. For its part, the theater reaches new expressiveness with authors such as Gabriel Calderón, Sergio Blanco, Santiago Sanguinetti or Leonor Courtoisie.

At the same time, children's literature, which during the 90s had a few writers, saw its number of authors and books increase, becoming the best-selling genre in the country, with prominent names such as Roy Berocay, Helen Velando, Magdalena Helguera, Sebastián Pedrozo, Cecilia Curbelo, Daniel Baldi, among others.

It is noteworthy the development of reading clubs, which have more and more adherents.