José Watanabe

Peruvian poet and playwright born in Laredo, Trujillo in 1946. Son of a Japanese immigrant and a peasant woman from the Peruvian highlands, he received basic education in his hometown, then moved to Lima where he began studies in Architecture. After a few semesters, he interrupted his career to fully dedicate himself to literary work. For his first publication, Álbum de familia, published in 1971, he received the Young Poet of Peru award. His second book, El huso de la palabra, only appeared in 1989 and established him as one of the most important poets of contemporary Peruvian poetry. Part of his work is contained in significant publications such as, Cosas del cuerpo 1999, El guardián del hielo in 2000, awarded the Lezama Lima prize by Casa de las Américas, Elogio del refrenamiento 2003, La piedra alada 2005 and Banderas detrás de la niebla 2006. He also stood out as a scriptwriter for film and theater. He died in Lima in April 2007.

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