Efraín Kristal

Efraín Kristal is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in Latin American literature within comparative contexts, translation studies, and aesthetics. He has authored and edited numerous seminal works including The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel and Borges and Translation, while publishing over 100 articles. His research spans 19th and 20th-century Spanish American literature, philosophical approaches to translation, and intersections between literature and political theory.

• Ph.D., Stanford University (1985)
• Maîtrise, Université de Rouen (1983)
• M.A., Stanford University (1982)
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley (1980)

Kristal's scholarly output reveals trends in Borges studies, translation theory, Shakespearean influences, and comparative literary analysis. His work frequently examines how historical trauma (e.g., wars, disease) and philosophical concepts (e.g., resentment, ambiguity) manifest in literary texts across cultural boundaries.

• Distinguished Visiting Fellow, La Trobe University (2002)
• Mercator Research Fellowship (2001)
• UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award (2000)
• Choice Outstanding Academic Book of the Year Award (1998)
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship (1991-1992)

As a prominent figure in Latin American and comparative literature, Kristal has advised numerous academic projects, reviewed contemporary Latin American fiction, and contributed to global literary encyclopedias. His teaching grants and fellowships reflect sustained recognition of pedagogical and scholarly excellence.