Alejandro Aura

Alejandro Aura was born on March 2, 1944, to a family from the San Rafael borough of Mexico City. His father Olimpo Aura Pineda was a mathematician, and his mother Ema Palacios Ordorica, whose grandfather Manuel Ordorica worked at the National Palace of Mexico with President Porfirio Díaz, was descendant of an aristocratic family. From a young age, Alejandro developed a passion for literature writing poetry, plays, essays, short fiction and fiction. He was also characterized by his political activism by participating actively in the student movement of 1968.[1]

Besides his literary activities, he was director of the Theater and Dance department of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.[2] In March, 1995, Aura created the national reading club "Aureolas" in his cultural bar "El hijo del cuervo'" in Coyoacán, where he presented several artistic, cultural and social activities between 1984 and 1999.[2] In 1998, he created and directed the Institute of Culture of Mexico City (nowadays, Secretary of Culture) during Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas' term as Head of Government, until 2001.[1] During his term, Aura promoted the use of public spaces for cultural activities and created reading clubs.[1] He was director of the Institute of Culture of Mexico in Madrid, Spain from July, 2001, to December, 2003.[2]

He got first married to Elsa Cross, with whom he had a daughter, Cecilia Aura Cross (1968-2007), then to Emma Ruiz and to actress Verónica Langer, with whom he had a son, Pablo Aura.[3] He later married Carmen Boullosa, with whom he had two children: María and Juan Aura.[1] In Madrid, he met his last wife, Milagros Revenega, with whom he spent his last days. Alejandro Aura died on July 30, 2008, in Madrid.

He was awarded the Latin-American Award for Short Fiction in 1969 for Los baños de Celeste (Celeste's Baths), and the National Award for Poetry Aguascalientes in 1973 for Volver a casa (Coming Home).[4]

• Official blog of Alejandro Aura