Casting off my moorings, fearlessly facing the wide world, and burning my bridges were actions that, on successive occasions, altered my life and, consequently, my literary work. It was during those years of wandering that the body of my work took shape.
Sergio Pitol
The Art of Escape (excerpt)
Pitol joined the Mexican Foreign Service in the 1960s.
Sergio Pitol's diplomatic life was as important as his literary work, as it profoundly influenced his style and worldview.
After studying Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Pitol joined the Mexican Foreign Service in the 1960s. His career led him to live in different countries, especially in Eastern Europe, which decisively influenced his writing.
He held diplomatic posts in cities such as:
The beginning of his career in the Mexican Foreign Service. His time in what was then Yugoslavia marked the beginning of his connection with the culture and literature of Eastern Europe.
1967 - 1968: Belgrade Yugoslavia
1972 - 1975: Warsaw, Poland
He deepened his interest in Slavic languages and developed an important career as a translator and cultural promoter.
He strengthened his connection with the European intellectual environment, enriching his literary and cosmopolitan education.
1975 - 1976: Paris, France
He continued his diplomatic work while expanding his relationship with Central European writers and cultural traditions.
1977 - 1978: Budapest, Hungary
1978-1980: Moscow, Soviet Union
He lived through the political and cultural context of the Soviet Union, an experience that profoundly influenced his work.
1983 - 1988: Ambassador of Mexico to Prague, Czechoslovakia
He experienced one of the most significant phases of his diplomatic career. Years later, he would be appointed Mexican ambassador to Czechoslovakia between 1988 and 1993, during a decisive period for the political transformation of Eastern Europe.
In these destinations he worked as a cultural attaché and diplomatic official, promoting Mexican culture and strengthening cultural ties between Mexico and other countries.
One of the most important moments of his career was when he served as Mexico's ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1988–1993), right in a key period that included the political transition after the fall of the socialist bloc in Eastern Europe.
His diplomatic career also allowed him to develop an extensive body of work as a translator, bringing Slavic and English-language authors into Spanish. This international experience is clearly reflected in works such as *The Art of Fugue*, where he blends memoir, essay, and literary reflection.
Diplomacy was not just a profession for Pitol, but an extension of his literary vocation: to travel, observe and translate the world into words.
