Eduardo Zalamea Borda

Eduardo Zalamea Borda
Native name	Eduardo Zalamea Borda
Born	Eduardo Zalamea Borda 1907 Bogotá, Colombia
Died	1963 (age 56-58) Bogotá, Colombia
Occupation	Journalist, Writer

Eduardo Zalamea Borda (1907–1963) was a Colombian journalist and writer. He was born in Bogota, Colombia. After a suicide attempt in Barranquilla, he went to live in La Guajira for several years. One of the writers he promoted, Gabriel García Márquez, later recalled that Borda "anchored himself at Café Roma (a restaurant in Barranquilla), and shot himself in the chest with a revolver, without serious consequences". He came back to Bogota at the age of 21. He joined the newspaper La Tarde as a cub reporter. He went on to become editor at El Liberal and El Espectador newspapers. At the latter, he became known for promoting young writers. Among them was the future Nobel Prize winner García Márquez, whose first story was published in El Espectador in 1947.

Zalamea Borda was also known as a writer in his own right. He is considered a pioneer of modernist narrative techniques in Colombian prose. He published a well-received novel 4 años a bordo de mí mismo in 1934, although it was initially thought to be pornographic. His second novel, La cuarta bateria was not published in his lifetime, releasing in 2001, 38 years after his death.

Zalamea Borda is related to the Colombian writers Luis Zalamea Borda and Jorge Zalamea Borda.

Career in Journalism

Eduardo Zalamea Borda began his journalism career at the newspaper La Tarde in Bogotá, where he worked as a cub reporter. His early experiences in the newsroom helped shape his understanding of Colombian society and sharpen his writing skills. He later advanced to editorial positions at two of Colombia’s most influential newspapers: El Liberal and El Espectador.

At El Espectador, Zalamea Borda gained recognition not only as a journalist but also as a mentor and promoter of young literary talent. Most notably, he played a key role in fostering the career of Gabriel García Márquez, who would later become a Nobel Prize-winning novelist. García Márquez credited Zalamea Borda with encouraging him during his early writing efforts and providing a platform for his first published story in El Espectador in 1947.

Zalamea Borda’s editorial work contributed to a vibrant literary culture within Colombian journalism during the mid-20th century. His support for emerging writers and his openness to innovative narrative styles helped position El Espectador as an important venue for modern Colombian literature. His influence extended beyond the newsroom, shaping public discourse and the literary scene in Colombia during a formative period.