Persona Non Grata

by Jorge Edwards

Published 6 January 1977
In 1970 Edwards was sent by socialist Chilean President Allende as his country's first envoy to break the diplomatic blockade that had sealed Cuba for over a decade, and open a Chilean embassy. His arrival coincided with the turning point of the revolution, when Castro began to repress the very intellectuals he once courted. Edwards recorded his disenchantment with the revolution in this book that made him a victim of double censorship and was banned by the left as well as the right. Since its publication over thirty years ago, it has maintained its authenticity and is considered the most controversial and notorious work of the winner of the Premio Cervantes 1999.