Alberto Manguel

writer, translator, essayist, and promoter of reading

Alberto Manguel (1948) is a respected Argentine-Canadian writer, translator, essayist, and promoter of reading. His best-known book is A History of Reading (1996), which is an engrossing exploration of the role of reading in human culture, from ancient times to the present day. In the book, Manguel shares personal memories and formative experiences, one of which was his encounter with Jorge Luis Borges, who was already blind at the time of their meeting and to whom Manguel used to read. He has received numerous international awards for his work as an author and editor. Some of his most renowned works include Reading Pictures (2000), The Library at Night (2006), and The Traveler, the Tower, and the Worm (2013). Manguel’s most recent work is Recetas de lugares imaginarios (Recipes from Imaginary Places, 2026), a culinary guide to imaginary dishes from world literature.