Groundbreaking Latino Author Benjamin Alire Sáenz Dies at 71

Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the first Latino writer to win a major American fiction prize, died July 28, 2026, in El Paso, Texas, at 71 after a long illness. His publisher, Simon & Schuster, confirmed the death. He won the 2013 PEN/Faulkner Award for a story collection. His popular teen novel won two LGBTQ awards. His final book, "When the World Was Happy," comes out next month.