Mircea Cartarescu (born 1 June 1956) is a Romanian poet, novelist and essayist. Born in Bucharest, he graduated from the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Romanian language and literature in 1980. Between 1980 and 1989 he worked as a Romanian language teacher, then as a civil servant at the Writers' Union and as an editor at the Caiete Critice magazine. Since 1991 he has been an assistant teacher at the Chair of Romanian literary history, part of the University of Bucharest Faculty of Letters. Between 1994-1995 he was a visiting professor at the University of Amsterdam.
His debut as a writer was in 1978, in România Literara magazine.

Poetry

Faruri, vitrine, fotografii..., ("Headlights, Shop Windows, Photographs") Cartea Româneasca, 1980 - Writers' Union Prize, 1980
Poeme de amor ("Love Poems"), Cartea Româneasca, 1982.
Totul ("Everything"), Cartea Româneasca, 1984.
Levantul ("Levant"), Cartea Româneasca, 1990 - Writers'Union Prize, 1990, republished at Humanitas publishing house
Dragostea ("Love"), Humanitas publishing house, 1994.
50 de sonete de Mircea Cartarescu cu cincizeci de desene de Tudor Jebeleanu (50 sonnets by Mircea Cartarescu with fifty drawings by Tudor Jebeleanu), Brumar, 2003

Prose

Desant '83 (volum colectiv / collective tome), Cartea Româneasca, 1983.
Visul ("The Dream"), Cartea Româneasca, 1989 - Romanian Academy's Prize, 1989; translated into French and Spanish; Latin Union's Prize nominee Le rêve, Climats, 1992, ISBN 2907563556 - nominated for the Medicis prize (Best foreign book).
'Nostalgia (novel), Humanitas, 1993.
Travesti, Humanitas, 1994 - Writers' Union Prize 1994; ASPRO Prize 1994; translated into French and Dutch
Orbitor ("Glaring"), vol. 1, Aripa stânga (tome 1, "The Left Wing"), Humanitas, 1996
  Gallimard, Translation (French) by Alain Paruit, 2002, ISBN 2070422658
Jurnal ("Journal"), Humanitas, 2001, ISBN 973-50-0095-4
Orbitor ("Glaring"), vol. 2, Corpul (tome 2, "The Body"), Humanitas, 2002
Enciclopedia zmeilor ("The Encyclopedia of Dragons"), Humanitas, 2002
De ce iubim femeile ("Why we love women"), Humanitas, 2004, ISBN 973-50-0869-6
Jurnal II, 1997-2003, ("Journal II, 1997-2003"), Humanitas, 2005, ISBN 973-50-0986-2
Orbitor ("Glaring"), vol. 3, Aripa dreapta (tome 3, "The Right Wing"), Humanitas, 2007

Literary Prizes

1980: Romanian Writers' Union Prize
1989: Romanian Academy's Prize
1990: Romanian Writer's Unions Prize, Flacara magazine Prize, Ateneu magazine Prize, Tomis magazine Prize, Cuvântul magazine Prize
1992: Le Rêve nominee for: Prix Mèdicis, Prix Union Latine, Le meilleur livre étranger
1994: Romanian Writer's Union Prize, ASPRO Prize, Moldavian Writers' Union Prize
1996: ASPRO Prize, Flacara magazine Prize, Ateneu magazine Prize, Tomis magazine Prize, Cuvântul magazine Prize
1997: Flacara magazine Prize, Ateneu magazine Prize, Tomis magazine Prize, Cuvântul magazine Prize
1999: Orbitors French translation nominee for Prix Union Latine
2000: Romanian Writers' Association Prize
2002: ASPRO Prize, AER Prize
2006: Grand Officer of the Cultural Merit Order (Ordinul "Meritul cultural" în grad de mare ofiter), awarded by Romanian Presidency