Jaime Sabines (1926–1999)

Octavio Paz called Jaime Sabines “one of the greatest contemporary poets” of the Spanish language. Born in 1926 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Sabines made his way to Mexico City as a young man to study medicine; three years later, he would turn to literature and never look back. His work, focused on portraying the everyday lives of ordinary people, has been translated into over twelve languages and has been honored with several prestigious awards in his own country, including the Xavier Villaurrutia Award (1972) and the National Literature Award (1983). In addition to his literary pursuits, Sabines led an active political life in both his home state of Chiapas and his adopted hometown, Mexico City. He died in 1999.