Benjamin Alire Sáenz, renowned author of 'Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe' dies aged 71

Award-winning Borderland author Benjamin Alire Sáenz has died at the age of 71 following a lengthy illness.

The acclaimed novelist, poet and short story writer died on Tuesday, July 28, his publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers confirmed the news on July 29. 

Raised in the El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, region, Sáenz drew extensively on his upbringing to create stories that reflected the culture, people and landscapes of the Borderland.

His writing earned critical acclaim and established him as one of the most influential contemporary voices in American literature.

Among his best-known works is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a coming-of-age novel set in 1980s El Paso.

The story follows the friendship of two teenage boys whose relationship gradually develops into love and has become one of the defining titles in young adult fiction.

Sáenz also received widespread recognition for Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, a collection of short stories that won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2013.

The work brought both national and international attention to his writing and further highlighted his focus on relationships, identity and the Borderland experience.

Throughout his career, Sáenz continued to write poetry, novels and short fiction, examining themes of place, self and human connection. His work frequently balanced the beauty, tenderness and hardships of life in the Borderland.

The Benjamin Alire Sáenz Literary Fund was established at the author's request to support the development of a literary festival in El Paso. The fund aims to invest in authors and the literary arts while continuing Sáenz's vision of inspiring future generations through storytelling and literary programmes.