Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.' Those opening lines of 100 Years of Solitude entranced first-timers to the world of Latin American literature, and continue to do so. For a bite-sized peek at his literary gifts, try Innocent Erendira and Other Stories (1979). And yes, did we mention he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982?

GUNTER GRASS

Another Nobel Prize winner. This German poet, novelist, playwright and sculptor announced his presence with the surprising The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel, 1959). It was a novel that brought with it the role of spokesman for a generation.Grass has compared the art of writing to 'mouth-to-ear artificial respiration' that keeps humanity alive. A powerful analogy. Much like his work.

Photograph:MARCELO SALINAS/AFP/Getty Images and DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images

Also See: A Date with J K Rowling