What is the nationality of Don Quixote's author?

The author of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, was Spanish. He was born in Alcalá de Henares in 1547 and became one of the defining writers of Spanish literature.

Cervantes published the first part of Don Quixote in 1605 and the second part in 1615. The novel follows Alonso Quixano, who reads so many chivalric romances that he decides to become the knight-errant Don Quixote. Its mixture of comedy, adventure, social observation, and reflection on storytelling made it a landmark of world literature.

Cervantes’s life included experiences far beyond writing. He served as a soldier and fought at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where he suffered a serious injury to his left hand. He was later captured by Barbary pirates and held captive in Algiers for several years before returning to Spain.

“Spanish” refers to Cervantes’s nationality and literary tradition. Don Quixote is written primarily in Spanish, although the novel contains translated documents, invented sources, and characters from different backgrounds as part of its playful narrative design.