Hernán Rivera Letelier is a renowned Chilean novelist, born on 11 July 1950 in Talca, Chile. His life and works are deeply influenced by his early years living in the Algorta saltpeter mining town in northern Chile until he was 11. After the town closed, his family moved to Antofagasta, where he faced the hardships of life after losing his mother. Alone in Antofagasta, he survived by selling newspapers and later worked as a messenger for the Anglo Lautaro Nirate Company.

Rivera Letelier's adventurous spirit led him to travel through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina for three years. He eventually returned to Antofagasta in 1973, where he worked for Mantos Blancos and got married. Continuing his education, he completed his studies at night school and earned a teaching license from Inacap.

He is best known for his novels that vividly portray life in the pampa nortina. Some of his notable achievements include winning the Premio Consejo Nacional de Libro (Chilean National Book Award) twice and the prestigious Premio Alfaguara de Novela in 2010 for his novel El arte de la resurrección, a comic love story set against the backdrop of a miners' strike in the 1940s.

Despite beginning his writing career with poetry and short stories, Rivera Letelier found critical and popular success as a novelist. His works have been translated into multiple languages, and he dreams of crafting a literary style imbued with the magic and intelligence of legendary authors like Juan Rulfo, Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, and Borges.