Gabriel José e la Concordia García Márquez (born March 6, 1927) is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. García Márquez, familiarly known as "Gabo" in his native country, is one of Latin America's most famous writers. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, and in 1982 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his early years he was strongly influenced by his grandfather who raised him. As he grew, he pursued a highly self-directed education that resulted in his quitting law school in order to begin a career in journalism. Early in this career he demonstrated he had no inhibitions to be critical of politics within Colombia and beyond. In 1958, he married Mercedes Barcha and they have since had two sons together.