Gabriel García Márquez, a Colombian novelist, journalist, and screenwriter, is one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. García Márquez is believed to be one of the pioneers of magical realism, a literary genre that intertwines magical and realistic elements. Historically, García Márquez is one of the most famous Latin American writers, and he is well-known for his vivid imagery and unique characters. He has received several awards during and after his life, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. His most famous work, One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad), was published in 1967 and is regarded as a masterpiece of modern literature. His 1985 work, Love in the Time of Cholera (El amor en los tiempos del cólera), is also regarded as a classic work of literature.

Born on March 6, 1927, García Márquez was raised by his maternal grandparents in the rural town of Aracataca, Colombia. His life with his grandfather, a veteran who fought in the Thousand Days War, profoundly impacted his outlook on life and his literary work. García Márquez studied law at the National University of Colombia in Bogota but did not finish his degree.