Adriano González León

Who was Adriano González León?

Adriano González León was a Venezuelan writer who is known in his country for the novel País Portátil, widely regarded as the premier Venezuelan novel of the latter half of the 20th century, and for his many years of hosting a television program dedicated to promoting literary appreciation among the general public.

González León studied at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. Politically active in his youth, in the 1950s he fought against the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez. In the 1960s, from his position as a coeditor of the magazine Sardio, he supported revolutionary ideals then in fashion. He lectured for brief periods in literature and later economics at UCV, held minor diplomatic posts, edited literary magazines, and promoted literature appreciation through the television program. Near the end of his life, in 2004, PEN Venezuela and other organizations collaborated to pay homage to his opus and the stature he had achieved in the Venezuelan literary world by establishing a biennial literary prize in his name, dedicated to promoting the work of Venezuelan novelists. Honorees have included Milton Quero Arévalo in 2004 and Héctor Bujanda and Héctor Torres in 2006.