The constant political turmoil that Bolivia has experienced throughout its history has slowed the development of Bolivian literature. Many talents have had to emigrate or were silenced by the internal conflict. In recent years the literature of Bolivia has been in a process of growth, with the appearance of new writers. Older writers such as Adela Zamudio, Oscar Alfaro, and Franz Tamayo continue to be important. Nearly half of Bolivia's population speaks indigenous languages such as Quechua, Aymara or Guarani. The indigenous peoples of Bolivia have a rich oral tradition, as expressed in myths, legends, and stories; these stories generally have not been transcribed in writing.

Notable writers

Notable Bolivian writers include: • Adela Zamudio • Adolfo Costa du Rels • Alcides Arguedas • Alcira Cardona • Antonio Díaz Villamil • Armando Chirveches • Armando Soriano Badani • Augusto Céspedes • Blanca Wiethüchter • Carlos Medinaceli • Edmundo Paz Soldán • Eduardo Mitre • Eduardo Scott • Enrique Finot • Fausto Reinaga • Franz Tamayo • Gabriel René Moreno • Gary Daher Canedo • Gastón Suárez • Giovanna Rivero • Gonzalo Lema • Gustavo Adolfo Otero • Gustavo Navarro • Isabel Mesa de Inchauste • Jaime Mendoza • Jaime Sáenz • Javier del Granado • Jesús Lara Lara • Juan Claudio Lechín • Juan Pablo Piñeiro • Juan Wallparrimachi • Manuel Rigoberto Paredes • María Josefa Mujia • Natalia Palacios • Nataniel Aguirre • Oscar Cerruto • Pedro Shimose • Porfirio Diaz Machicao • Ramón Rocha Monroy • Renato Prada Oropeza • Ricardo Jaimes Freyre • Veronica Ormachea Gutierrez • Victor Hugo Vizcarra • Víctor Hugo Arévalo Jordán • Víctor Montoya • Óscar Alfaro

The Bolivian Novel

In 2004, a book-length survey of the best Bolivian novels was published. It attempted to identify the top 10 novels in Bolivian literature, winnowing them down from a longer list of 91 novels. The study was done by Carlos Diego de Mesa Gisbert. Below is the list of top 30 novels as identified in the book.