Author+Background



Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born in a rural Colombian town called Aracataca. He was cared for in his early childhood by his grandparents while his mother and father lived in another town working in a pharmacy. Marquez's grandfather, Nicolás Ricardo Márquez Mejía, locally known as The Colonel, fought as a Liberal in the Thousand Days' War (1899-1902). He would often tell Marquez stories from the civil war, of the conflict between liberals and conservatives, and American imperialism. The Colonel's wife was also a brilliant storyteller who loved to embellish her tales with magical creatures and supernatural forces. Garcia Marquez originally went to the University of Cartegena to study law, but he soon began work as a journalist. After a few years writing for various newspapers, he wanted to write a novel inspired by his grandparent's home in Aracataca. In 1967 he published Cien Anos de Soledad, which became his most popular work and made him a Nobel honorary. Marquez is also known for his book Love in the Time of Cholera, based on his parents' love affair, and numerous short stories. Marquez married Mercedes Barcha in 1958 and they have two sons.

Bibliography

"Gabriel García Márquez - Biography". Nobelprize.org. 24 May 2011 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1982/marquez-bio.html "One Hundred Years of Solitude." //Wikipedia//. Web. 23 May 2011. 