Spanish Literature

After the Spanish Civil War, many intellectuals returned to Spain, among them, novelists Camilo José Cela, Carman Laforet, and José María Gironella. More writers returned to Spain after World War II finally ended, such as Max Aub, Miguel Delibes, Juan Goytisolo, Ana María Matute, Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio, Luís Martín-Santos, and Gonzalo Torrente-Ballester to name a few.

The year of dictator Francisco Franco's death marked a turning point in Spain's history and therefore in the country's literature. Franco's death prompted the so-called Transition period, a political movement that saw the changeover from the dictatorial regime to a parliamentary monarchy.

In literature, the yearned-for freedom of expression was finally recovered, with writers tending towards a great deal of formal experimentation. Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Ana Rossetti, Antonio Carvajal, Guillermo Carnero, Jaime Silas, and Antonio de Villena, Juan Benet, Carmen-Martín-Gaite, Benjamin Prado, Enrique Vila-Matas, Eduardo Mendoza, Soledad Puértolas, Carmen Riera, and Ana Maria Moix are some of the most important poets and novelists.

Although Spanish drama didn't flourish as much as the other literary genres, noted contemporary playwrights include Fermín Cabal, Alonso de Santos, Fernando Arrabel and Antonio Gala.