Sololiteratura is an excellent website for latin american literature -- only available in Spanish, unfortunately. They have pages for Argentina.
Pginas de Literatura de Argentina
Contemporary authors are less known than their illustrious predecessors but I find them very interesting. Literature seems in good shape over there.
Heteronym's introductory was great and I won't comment on the authors in there as I guess everyone will have heard of them and our Portugues friend made of good job of it. I've got nothing to add. Thanks!
Sabato is obviously mandatory. Two writers not mentioned but also very important in the history of Argentinian lit are
Macedonio Fernández and
Osvaldo Lamborghini. Macedonio was a huge influence on
Borges who dedicated one of his poems to him. For more info, I would direct you an excellent essay published in the latest Quarterly conversation:
Macedonio Fernandez: The Man Who Invented Borges | The Quarterly Conversation
Osvaldo Lamborghini is emblematic of the Argentinian avant-garde of the 70's (influenced by
Lacan,
Céline,
Artaud,
Grombowicz or
Arlt amongst other things). Quite a prolific writer, especially in his last years. He died aged 45 in 1985, leaving a seven tome work called
Teatro proletario de cámara unfinished: a mixture of prose, verse, graphic design, etc.
César Aira's master.
Since we're talking
Aira, a couple of words on him. I first read him with a lot of doubts in my head, and if the first one didn't entirely convince I found out afterwards it grew on me. I think I've now read four books of his, and he won me over. Funhouse described him some place else as hallucinatory, and he is right. Very powerful writing.
Ricardo Piglia was also mentioned. One of the big names still writing today. He used to head a series of crime novels for a publisher and is a specialist of the detective story, which shows in his own work especially in his most successful book
Money to burn which received a big prize awarded by a jury made of
Roa Bastos,
Benedetti and
Tomás Eloy Martínez -- not the worst jury you could have come up with. He teaches at Princeton and his a reference for most younger Argentinian writers, it would seem.
Fogwill -- He is a weird one. Very funny books, most of them short. Some see in him an heir to
Artl.
Juan Gelman -- Received the
Cervantes, one if not the main literary prize of the Spanish-speaking world, a few months ago. A poet.
Tomas Eloy Martínez -- I guess you have heard of him, one of the most famous Argentinian writer.
Alberto Manguel -- Now I'm sure 99% of the reader of this forum will know the old Borges reader...
Let's move on to the younger generation:
Rodrigo Fresán -- started out as a journalist. Friend of
Bolaño and
Vila-Matas. Wrote a couple of novels (
Kensigton's gardens is available in English) and a few short-stories collections. I think he is actually better known for his work as a critic -- he is like the number one critic for english-language literature in Spain, especially post-modern one. Again, I would direct you to the Quarterly conversation:
My Own Private Mexico | The Quarterly Conversation
Alan Pauls -- the most talented? A couple of years ago, I read
The Past, quite a striking love story, but wasn't quite in love with the writing. Since then, I read him in Spanish and... wow... Proustian might be too much, but I guess you see what I mean. Very smart and very well done.
Martin Kohan -- sold in Spain as one of the rising stars. Read one book, wasn't impressed at all. I think he has something available in English through
Sepernt's tail.
Damían Tabarovsky -- I have my doubts about him, but he is very interesting. Literary critic and literary director of of Interzon, one of Argentina's most dynamic independent publishing houses. I've read four of his novels, all had some excellent ideas, writing, starting points but I felt they were always being let down by an insistence on politics devoid of subtlelty. Too bad, because it's was very good stuff at times. A master of digression, it would seem.
Sergio Chejfec -- I know very little about him, but I've read a few articles and he is meant to be a future major writer. Unfortunately, I don't think any of his books are available in Spain making it near impossible to find over here. However, I heard the great and small publisher Candaya was planning to publish some titles here at last. Very often being compared to
Saer. Now lives in Venezuela.
In another place, I've been recommended
Luis Gusman,
Gustavo Nielsen and
Federico Jeanmaire. I know zilch about the latter two, but I've heard a little about
Gusman and I've been meaning to check him out.
So as you can see, a lot of things seem to be happening over there at the moment...
One last note:
Juan Rodolfo Wilcock wrote both in Italian and Spanish, died in Italy, which was the nationality on his papers, but was born and bred in Argentine. Friend of
Bioy and
Borges. Some of his work written in Italian, some in Spanish. I read
El estereoscopio de los solitarios last year, damn fine read. Great absurd short stories, very witty.