The Modern Novel

Biography

Salvador Benesdra was born in Buenos Aires in 1952. His family owned a cobbler’s shop. He studied psychotherapy and epidemiology. He worked as a journalist for many leading Argentinian newspapers and magazines, specialising in economics and politics. He spoke several languages. He was also a keen political organiser, as can be seen from his novel. He wrote one novel, published in 1995, which was a finalist for the Planeta prize. It was not published till after his death and soon went out of print and became virtually unobtainable, building up a huge cult reputation. It was republished in Argentina in late 2012, together with a book of self-help for people during times of crisis, published for the first time. Benesdra killed himself by jumping off the balcony of his apartment in 1996. He had started writing a second novel – Puntería – which was only in outline at the time of his death.

Other links

Salvador Benesdra (in Spanish)
Salvador Benesdra, el genio oculto de la literatura argentina y un reconocimiento que llegó muy tarde (in Spanish)
El escritor que desafió al dolor (in Spanish)