Julio Florencio Cortázar (26 August 1914 – 12 February 1984; Latin American Spanish: [ˈxuljo koɾˈtasaɾ]) was an Argentine and naturalised French novelist, short story writer, poet, essayist, and translator.

Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenced an entire generation of Spanish-speaking readers and writers in America and Europe.

He is considered to be one of the most innovative and original authors of his time, a master of history, poetic prose, and short stories as well as the author of many groundbreaking novels, a prolific author who inaugurated a new way of making literature in the Hispanic world by breaking classical molds. He is perhaps best known as the author of multiple narratives that attempt to defy the temporal linearity of traditional literature.

Cortázar lived his childhood, adolescence, and incipient maturity in Argentina. In 1951, he settled in France for what would prove to be more than three decades. However, he also lived in Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.