Octavio Barreda

Octavio G. Barreda (November 30, 1897 – January 2, 1964) was a Mexican poet, critic, essayist, translator, and literary promoter who also appeared on Broadway, performing in the 1939 production Mexicana.

As a writer, Barreda worked across multiple literary forms. His poetry included Sonetos a la Virgen (Sonnets to the Virgin), published in 1937, a collection noted for its hermetic qualities. He also produced prose criticism and translations into Spanish of works by T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence, and Saint-John Perse.

Barreda founded two Mexican literary magazines that became significant platforms for emerging writers: Letras de México, which ran from 1937 to 1947, and El Hijo Pródigo, published from 1943 to 1946. Literary critic Emmanuel Carballo wrote in his memoirs that from 1937 to 1945, Barreda held the position of what he called "president of the Mexican republic of letters." The poet Alí Chumacero credited Barreda with bringing together writers of differing tendencies and described him as a cultured and generous figure who contributed substantially to his own literary development.

In 1959, Barreda relocated to Guadalajara on medical advice, where he became a regular presence at Café Apolo, situated at the corner of Avenida Juárez and Calle Galeana in the city's downtown area. He died on January 2, 1964.