Ricardo Palma

Elisa Sampson Vera Tudela (King's College London)
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Ricardo Palma was born on February 7th 1833, the illegitimate mixed-race son of a humble family. He was to become a prolific author and household name in his lifetime. The bulk of Palma’s extensive oeuvre is found in the

Tradiciones Peruanas

[

Peruvian Traditions

] – a hybrid genre that he is credited with inventing. Despite the deliberately archaic appearance of the

tradiciones

(many of which are set in the colonial period), Palma has increasingly come to be appreciated as a foundational figure for modern Latin American narrative.

Palma was apparently brought up principally by his grandmother and other female relatives in a house in the historic centre of Lima, next to the old Inquisition prisons. He was educated at various schools in the capital and eventually enrolled in the

2394 words

Citation: Sampson Vera Tudela, Elisa. "Ricardo Palma". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 May 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12909, accessed 19 March 2024.]

12909 Ricardo Palma 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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