Luis Zapata

Luis Zapata was one of the most prominent gay writers in Mexican literature. He studied French literature at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He rose to popularity in the 1970s with books about the youth subculture of Mexico City. His novels examine the connection between daily life and the popular culture of radio, television, and film. His best-known work is El Vampiro de la Colonia Roma (1979), which is considered a pioneer of LGBTQ+ literature in Mexico. It is narrated by Adonis Garcia, a young, working-class man who cruises around Mexico City's gay community. The book was translated into English as Adonis Garcia: A Picaresque Novel. Zapata also wrote several other novels, such as Hasta en las mejores familias (1975), De pétalos perennes (1981), En jirones (1985), and La hermana secreta de Angélica María (1989). He also wrote essays, short stories, and theater plays. He received several awards and recognitions for his literary work, such as the Juan Grijalbo Prize, the José Fuentes Mares National Literature Prize, and the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize. He died on November 4, 2020, in Cuernavaca, Morelos, due to complications related to a previous cardiac episode. He is remembered as a trailblazer and an icon of Mexican gay culture.