Augustin Buzura (born 22 September 1938, Berința, Maramureș County, Romania) studied General Medicine in Cluj, and specialised in psychiatry.
In 1963 he debuted in Bucharest with the collection of stories Capul Bunei Speranțe (Cape of Good Hope). In 1964 he renounced the medical profession, becoming an editorial secretary for Tribuna (The Tribune) magazine. In 1967 he published the second volume of stories, De ce zboară vulturul? (Why Does the Eagle Fly?), after which he started building a vast oeuvre. His novels, Absenții (The Absentees, 1970), Fețele tăcerii (The Faces of Silence, 1974), Orgolii (Pride, 1977), Vocile nopții (Voices of the Night, 1980), Refugii (Refuges, 1984) and Drumul cenușii (The Road of Ashes, 1988), confronted communist censorship, bringing the author celebrity, friendship and solidarity from the readers. Recviem pentru nebuni și bestii (Requiem for fools and beasts, 1999) is the novel of transition-time Romanian society, which Augustin Buzura observed with the same unbiased vigilance. His latest novel, Raport asupra singurătății (Report on the State of Loneliness, 2009), explores the Romanian landscape over more than 70 years, subtly locating the history of a myriad of individuals and events within their broader European context. All his novels enjoyed countless editions in Romania and abroad, the author being rewarded with numerous prizes.
He practiced other literary genres as well, such as essays (Bloc notes - Notepad, 1981) and memoirs (Tentația rispirii - The Temptation of Dissipation, 2003). In 2003 he published Teroarea iluziei. Convorbiri cu Crisula Ștefanescu (The Terror of Illusion. Conversations with Crisula Ștefanescu). His name is also connected to Romanian journalism. Besides Tribuna magazine, Augustin Buzura was present in the pages of almost all Romanian literary magazines, also being the founder of several publications established under the aegis of the Romanian Cultural Foundation, an organisation he led as president until 2003. His most recent published volume, Nici vii, nici morţi (Neither Alive, Nor Dead, 2012) illustrates the best the credo of the journalist who opposes truth to any rhetoric, unmasking the political masquerades of the moment.
He was the President of the Romanian Cultural Institute until January 2005. In the same year, he re-launched the magazine Cultura (Culture), which he leads as editor-in-chief and editorialist. Augustin Buzura is a Doctor Honoris Causa of Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, a correspondent member of Sudosteuropa Gesellschaft and a member of the Romanian Academy, the Brazilian Academy of Letters and the Academy of Latinity.