This is the first biography of Latin America’s most important poet, the Peruvian Cesar Vallejo, who was born in an Andean village, Santiago de Chuco, on 16 March 1892 and died in Paris on 15 April 1938. It traces the important events of his life - becoming a poet in Peru, falling in love with Mirtho in Trujillo, writing Trilce which would transform for ever the avant-garde in the Spanish-speaking world, fleeing to Paris in the summer of 1923 afterbeing accused of burning down Carlos Santa Maria’s house in Santiago de Chuco, falling in love with Georgette Philippart and then with communism, writing his Poemas humanos (Human Poems) and then, shortly before hisdeath, writing his moving poems inspired by the Spanish Civil War, Espana, aparta de mi este caliz (Spain, Take this Chalice from Me). This book also provides an objective evaluation of Vallejo’s poetry, fiction, theatre, political essays and journalism.

Stephen M. Hart is Professor of Latin American Film, Literature and Culture, School of European Languages, Culture and Society, University College London.