Unpublished Borges manuscript found in Argentina's National Library

Buenos Aires, Sep 5 (EFE).- Researchers combing the archives of Argentina's National Library have found an unpublished manuscript written by literary giant Jorge Luis Borges.

Librarians Laura Rosato and German Alvarez found an alternate ending to the Borges short story "Tema del traidor y del heroe" (Theme of the Traitor and the Hero), which was first published in 1944.

The story's final paragraph, penned in the Argentine author's unmistakable small handwriting, was discovered inside the Sur magazine's 112th edition.

"It's the first time a loose page handwritten (by Borges) has been found," the National Library's cultural director, Ezequiel Grimson, said of the investigative work.

Grimson added that it was the first major manuscript by Borges (1899-1986) in the possession of the state, noting that the rest belong to private collections.

The handwritten document is being reviewed by National Library researchers and will later be published, he said.

Borges may have planned for the manuscript to be discovered, since in "Tema del traidor and del heroe" the protagonist's great grandson discovers a handwritten article in the National Library's archives.

Copyright EFE, 2013.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/agencia-efe/130905/unpublished-borges-manuscript-found-argentinas-national-library