Lihn was without a doubt the best poet of his generation, the so-called Generación del ‘50, and one of the three or four best poets born between 1925 and 1935. Or maybe one of the two best. Or maybe he was the best.

— Roberto Bolaño
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Portrait of Enrique Lihn
Enrique Lihn

Enrique Lihn

Enrique Lihn Carrasco was a Chilean poet, playwright, and novelist. Born in 1929 in Santiago, Chile, Lihn aspired to be a painter, but after a failed attempt during university, he abandoned that dream to pursue writing. His work revolved around his contempt for the contemporary dictatorship as Chile was governed by a military junta. Works layered with social, political, and religious commentary are common throughout Lihn’s canon. In his later years, he taught literature at the University of Chile. His final book, Diario de Muerte was written in the six weeks preceding his death from cancer in Santiago in 1988.

cover image of the book The Dark Room And Other Poems

The Dark Room And Other Poems

by Enrique Lihn

Translated by Jonathan Cohen

The Dark Room presents in a compact bilingual selection the extraordinary poetry of Enrique Lihn (1929-1988), winner of the prestigious Casa de las Americas Prize and one of Chile’s most remarkable writers. Gathered here is Lihn’s most representative work from 1963 to 1977, drawn from his major books.

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Lihn was without a doubt the best poet of his generation, the so-called Generación del ‘50, and one of the three or four best poets born between 1925 and 1935. Or maybe one of the two best. Or maybe he was the best.

— Roberto Bolaño
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