About Manuel Scorza
Lived 1928 – 1983 (aged 55). Manuel Scorza was a Peruvian political activist, poet, novelist, indigenist and writer.
Manuel Scorza (September 9, 1928 – November 27, 1983) was an important Peruvian novelist, poet, and political activist, exiled under the regime of Manuel Odría. He was born in Lima.
Life and career Scorza was a member of a student group affiliated with the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) called The Poets of the People .
He is best known for the series of five novels, known collectively as "The Silent War," that began with Redoble por Rancas (1970). All five have been translated into more than forty languages, including English.
He died when his plane, Avianca Flight 011, crashed on approach to Madrid's Barajas Airport after striking a series of hilltops. The crash killed 181 passengers, including Mexican novelist and playwright Jorge Ibargüengoitia, Uruguayan writer, academic, and literary critic Ángel Rama, and Argentinian art critic Marta Traba.
Publications Las Imprecaciones (1955) Los adioses (1959) Desengaños del mago (1961) Poesía amorosa (1963) El vals de los reptiles (1970) Poesía incompleta (1970) "The Silent War" novels: Redoble por Rancas (1970) (Drums for Rancas, translated by Edith Grossman, 1977) Historia de Garabombo el Invisible (1972) (Garabombo, the Invisible, translated by Anna-Marie Aldaz, 1994) El Jinete Insomne (1977) (The Sleepless Rider, translated by Anna-Marie Aldaz, 1996) Cantar de Agapito Robles (1977) (The Ballad of Agapito Robles, translated by Anna-Marie Aldaz, 1999) La Tumba del Relámpago (1979) (Requiem for a Lightning Bolt, translated by Anna-Marie Aldaz, 2000) La danza inmóvil (1983)
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Important facts
People in Manuel Scorza's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Manuel Scorza's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Manuel Scorza?
Peruvian writer (1928–1983)
When was Manuel Scorza born?
Manuel Scorza was born on 9 September 1928 in Lima.
When did Manuel Scorza die?
Manuel Scorza died on 27 November 1983 in Madrid, Mejorada del Campo.
What was Manuel Scorza's occupation?
Manuel Scorza was a political activist, poet, novelist, indigenist and writer.
What nationality was Manuel Scorza?
Manuel Scorza was Peruvian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Manuel Scorza. https://biography.guide/manuel-scorza/
MLA: "Manuel Scorza." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/manuel-scorza/.
Chicago: "Manuel Scorza." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/manuel-scorza/.
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