Argentine writer and journalist Antonio DiBenedetto’s (1922-1986) writing, which was strongly influenced by Dostoyevsky, often reflected elements of his own life. DiBenedetto began writing and publishing stories in his teens, eventually becoming the editor of the arts and letters section of Los Andes, a Mendoza newspaper, in 1949. His first novel, Mundo Animal (1953), details the thoughts of an Argentine writer as he decides to remain in the town where he was born instead of moving to the political and cultural capital of Buenos Aires.
DiBenedetto’s most famous writing was the existential novel, Zama, published in 1956. Centering on a minor official of the Spanish empire in Paraguay, Zama was highly reviewed in literary magazines but generally unpopular, a result of DiBenedetto’s refusal to relocate to Buenos Aires. In the 1960s, DiBenedetto began traveling abroad, visiting countries across Europe and the United States. He also published two more novels, El silenciero (1964) and Los suicidas (1969). Although Zama was a critical success in Germany, DiBenedetto’s wish for international recognition was never fulfilled.
In 1976, during Argentina’s Dirty War, DiBenedetto was arrested and tortured by the government for 18 months, possibly due to his career as a journalist. Once freed, he immediately went into exile. With forays to France and the United States — through a residency at MacDowell in 1981 — he lived in Madrid until 1984 when he returned to Argentina to reside in Buenos Aires until his death in 1986.
