One of Argentina’s greatest living writers, Ernesto Sabato, celebrates his 94th birthday today. (I originally wrote this post in 2005. As Tom points out in the comments, Sabato was born in 1911, so in 2008 Sabato obviously is no longer 94…perhaps I should update this post every year…).

Unfortunately, not many of his works translated into English are still in print. I don’t understand that and hope that new printings of his translated works will appear soon. The editions listed on Amazon.com are mostly for used items, though Barnes & Nobles online does have some new editions. Most highly recommended by Sabato is The Tunnel.

Sabato was a physicist before turning to writing fiction. One of his most important roles came in the mid-1980s after the military dictatorship ended in Argentina and Sabato served as head of the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons. The Commission published the highly important work Nunca Más.

In 1984 Ernesto Sabato received the Cervantes Prize. Awarded once a year, the Cervantes Prize honors the lifetime achievement of a writer in the Spanish language.

If you’re not familiar with Sabato, take some time to learn about him.