Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, known as Mario Vargas Llosa, was a Peruvian writer, journalist, essayist, college professor, and politician. He also held Spanish and Dominican citizenship. Vargas Llosa is considered one of Latin America's most significant novelists and essayists, as well as a leading writer of his generation. Some critics view him as having a larger international impact and a wider global audience than any other writer of the Latin American Boom.

He achieved international fame in the 1960s with novels such as The Time of the Hero (*La ciudad y los perros*, 1963/1966), The Green House (*La casa verde*, 1965/1968), and the monumental Conversation in The Cathedral (*Conversación en La Catedral*, 1969/1975). His work spans various literary genres, including comedies, murder mysteries, historical novels, and political thrillers.

Vargas Llosa was awarded numerous prizes throughout his career, including the 1967 Rómulo Gallegos Prize, the 1986 Prince of Asturias Award, and the 1994 Miguel de Cervantes Prize. In 2010, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat." In 2011, he was made Marquess of Vargas Llosa by the Spanish king Juan Carlos I.

Politically, Vargas Llosa was active and initially supported the Cuban revolutionary government, but later distanced himself from its policies. He ran for the presidency of Peru in the 1990 election but was defeated by Alberto Fujimori. Despite his political setbacks, he continued his literary career and advocated for right-wing causes internationally.

Vargas Llosa's perception of Peruvian society heavily influenced his works, yet he also explored themes from other parts of the world. His essays criticize nationalism globally. Several of his works were adapted into films, and he was recognized for his contribution to literature by being elected to the Académie Française in 2021.