How many books has César Aira written?

César Aira has published 5 novels, 5 novellas and 1 short story collection that we list, as of September 2026.

What order should I read César Aira's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter.

What is César Aira's most famous book?

An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter (2000) is César Aira's most widely read book.

César Aira books in order

Argentine writer and translator

Born: 1949
Country: Argentina
Books: 11

César Aira has published 5 novels, 5 novellas and 1 short story collection, beginning with Ghosts (1990). The best-known is An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter (2000). The latest is Ema, the Captive (2016).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with César Aira

Start here
An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter
César Aira's most-read book.
Newest
Ema, the Captive
Published 2016.

Standalone novels in order

Ghosts (1990)
Buy
The Literary Conference (2010)
Buy
Shantytown (2013)
162 pages
Buy
The Hare (2013)
266 pages
Buy
Ema, the Captive (2016)
231 pages
Buy

Novellas in order

How I Became a Nun (1993)
117 pages
Buy
An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter (2000)
87 pages
Buy
The Seamstress and the Wind (2011)
132 pages
Buy
Dr. Aira's Miracle Cures (2012)
80 pages
Buy
Dinner (2015)
101 pages
Buy

Short story collections in order

The Musical Brain and Other Stories (2015)
351 pages
Buy

About César Aira

César Aira is an Argentine writer and translator, and an exponent of contemporary Argentine literature. He has published over a hundred short books of stories, novels and essays. He has lectured at the University of Buenos Aires, on Copi and Arthur Rimbaud, and at the University of Rosario on Constructivism and Stéphane Mallarmé, and has translated and edited books from France, England, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

César Aira FAQ

How many books has César Aira written?: César Aira has published 5 novels, 5 novellas and 1 short story collection that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read César Aira's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter.
What is César Aira's latest book?: Ema, the Captive (2016).
What is César Aira's most famous book?: An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter (2000) is César Aira's most widely read book.