Not much is known about the writing of indigenous Argentinians prior to the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century, primarily the Spanish. Most of the written documents of that time period are religious texts or accounts of colonialism occurring at the time. 

One of the oldest known texts from the region is La Argentina by Ruy Diaz De Guzman, which is a historical account written in the early 17th century.

Argenina gained its independence from Spain in 1816. This period saw an explosion of literature that sought to establish an Argentine identity. This movement was known as “Gaucho Literature” which romanticized the lives of the Argentine “cowboys” known as Gauchos.

During this time Esteban Echeverria wrote “El Matadero” (The Slaughterhouse), which is considered a foundational text in Argentine literature. El Matadero greatly criticized then dictator Juan Manuel De Rosas, who ruled the country until 1852.

After Rosas’ ousting, Argentinian literature began to expand into romanticism and realism, with writers and thinkers like Domingo Faustino Sarmiento leading the way.

In the early 1900s, Argentina moved into a period of modernism and Avante-Garde literature, most notably with authors like Jorge Luis Borges, who is still considered one of Argentina’s most famous and respected authors.

In the 1960s, the Latin American Boom spread across central and South America, with Argentina being no exception, producing notable works from Manuel Puig, Julio Cortazar, and others.

Today Argentina is still involved in the literary world, producing works that are regularly translated into English and other languages.