Writers, Poets and Intellectuals
(Arranged by date of birth)

José María Samper (1828-1888) – Writer, journalist and politician.
Samper was a prolific writer outstanding poet and journalist of the19th century. He authored many dramas, comedies, novels, poems, didactic works, biographies, scientific dissertations, works of criticism and history.
Some of his workes include: Wilted flowers, Echoes of the Andes, Story of a soul, and Martin Florez, the poet soldier. He was born in Honda.

Diego Fallon (1834-1905) – Writer, musician mathematician and engineer.
This distinguished poet and novelist earned a degree in Civil Engineering and in Music. He was a professor for the most part of his life. As a man of letters, he belonged to El Mosaico. That particular literary group published his poem within their magazine. His works include Our Music Writing System, The Palm of the Desert and Reminiscences . He was born in Santa Ana. (Today the town is known as Falán, in honour of the poet.)

María Cárdenas "Luz Stella" (1899-1969) – Writer and journalist.
Luz Stella is best known for her children's books and for her novels. She was a radio literary program manager and a literary journalist for The Tribunal newspaper in Ibagué.
She received several prizes in both short stories and poetry contests. Some of her works are: Christmas Romance, Christmas Altarpiece, Children's Corner and The Little Princess and the Star. She was born in Ibagué.

Juan Lozano y Lozano (1902-1979) – Writer, journalist and poet.
He was a brilliant Colombian journalist. He held important government and diplomatic posts.
Lozano y Lozano was Editor in Chief of La Razón and Semana magazines and cofounder of the weekly newspaper Política y algo más. As an editorialist of El Tiempo newspaper, his column El jardín de Cándido was published for many years. His poetic work was published in the books Horario primaveral and Joyería. Lozano y Lozano was born in Ibagué.

Arturo Camacho Ramírez (1910-1982) – Poet.
A great poet who belonged to the literary movement called Piedra y Cielo.
He held both diplomatic and political posts and was the editing secretary of Semana magazine and a columnist for four national newspapers. Two volumes of his Complete Works were published by Procultura in 1986. Camacho was born in Ibagué.

Alberto Machado (1915-2007) – Writer and poet.
This author is considered to be the pioneer of the Tolima's cultural movements. He authored such novels like The Land Called Them and Under the Cedars, and plays such as Dirty Hands. He was born in Líbano (Tolima) .

Oscar Echeverri (1918-2005) – Poet, linguist and journalist.
This distinguished member and secretary of the Colombian Academy of Language was the author of an abridged dictionary of the Spanish Language and an endless number of poems.
He received important recognitions such as the "Bernardo Arias Trujillo" Prize from the Government of Risaralda. He was decorated with The 'OrderLuis Carlos González', the 'Order of the Arriero' and with the Latin-American Literary Medal of Merit granted by the Latin-American Writers Confederation.
Echeverri grew up in Pereira, Risaralda, the hometown of his parents. He was born in Ibagué.

Manuel Antonio Bonilla – Medical doctor and writer.
He was a prestigious paediatrician , musician, painter, writer and educator. He acted as the Director of the Health Department of Ibagué. Among his published books are Human Ecology, Hippocratic Sonnets and Medical Silhouettes.
He was awarded several times in recognition of his outstanding work as an educator. Bonilla was born in Ibagué in 1922.

Luis Carlos Fallon– Writer and journalist.
The books Interior Song, While the Time Dies, Flame and Shadows and Legal Study on the Territorial Sea are the most outstanding books penned by this author.
He was decorated by the United Nations for his voluntary work on peace programs development. The writer was born in Ibagué in 1944.

Germán Santamaría – Writer and journalist.
Famous for being a recognized journalist and an author of chronicles, novels and short stories. His career did not end there as he was a columnist for El Tiempo newspaper and director of Diners a cultural magazine.
His best-known books are the novel You Will Not Die with which he won the Latin American "Prize Santiago of Chile", Colombia and Other Bloods and Days of Heat. He was born in 1950.