Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García Márquez, also known as “Gabo” amongst his fans and “that magical realist guy” amongst people who have never read his books, was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist.

Born in 1927 in Aracataca, a small town in northern Colombia, Gabo was one of the most famous and beloved writers of the 20th century. He is often credited with popularizing the genre of magical realism, which is basically when you take a regular story and add a dash of magic to it, like unicorns, talking animals, or men who can fly.

García Márquez’s most famous novel is “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” which tells the story of the Buendía family and their many generations of misfortunes, scandals, and supernatural occurrences. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in a town where it rains yellow flowers, where a woman ascends to the sky while hanging up laundry, and where people can read each other’s thoughts, this is the book for you.

But Gabo didn’t just write books that made you feel like you were having a dream while awake. He was also a journalist who covered a wide range of topics, from politics to culture to soccer. He famously interviewed Fidel Castro, who may or may not have told him the secret to eternal youth (hint: it involves a lot of cigars).

García Márquez was also a screenwriter who adapted some of his own works for the big screen, like “No One Writes to the Colonel” and “Love in the Time of Cholera.” Some of his other works were turned into movies by other filmmakers, like “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” and “The Autumn of the Patriarch.” Sadly, he never got to see his most famous book adapted into a movie or TV series, but we can always dream.

Gabo passed away in 2014 at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of literary masterpieces, magical worlds, and unforgettable characters. If you’ve ever felt like reality is just too boring and wish there was a place where anything is possible, just pick up one of García Márquez’s books and let him take you on a journey through his imagination. You won’t regret it, and you might even come back with a newfound appreciation for the magic that exists in our own world.