Forgotten Trunk in Buenos Aires Attic Reveals Jorge Luis Borges' Secret Novel Written Entirely in Mirror Script

Literary historians are calling it the most significant discovery in Latin American literature since the Boom generation: a complete, unpublished novel by Jorge Luis Borges, hidden for over sixty years in a leather trunk in the attic of a Buenos Aires estate.

The manuscript, titled 'El Espejo Infinito' (The Infinite Mirror), consists of approximately 400 handwritten pages composed entirely in mirror script—text that can only be read when reflected in a mirror. The estate belonged to Victoria Ocampo, the legendary editor and founder of Sur magazine, who was Borges' close friend and literary confidante.

"We always knew Ocampo kept secrets," said Dr. Martín Echeverría, head of the Argentine National Library's rare manuscripts division. "But this surpasses anything we imagined. The novel appears to be Borges' attempt to create a text that physically embodies his philosophical obsessions with infinity, reflection, and the labyrinth."

Preliminary analysis dates the manuscript to 1952-1954, a period when Borges was publicly focusing on short fiction and essays. The discovery suggests he was simultaneously working on a far more ambitious project in secret.

Early translations reveal a narrative structure as intricate as anything Borges published. The story follows a librarian who discovers that every book in his library contains, hidden within its margins, another complete book visible only in mirrors. As he investigates, he realizes the reflected books contain yet more hidden texts, creating an infinite regression of literature.

"It's pure Borges, but on an unprecedented scale," noted Professor Elena Vásquez of the University of Buenos Aires. "The mirror script isn't merely a gimmick—it's integral to the narrative's meaning. Readers must literally hold up a mirror to read the text, physically participating in the story's central metaphor."

The trunk also contained correspondence between Borges and Ocampo discussing the project. In one letter dated March 1954, Borges wrote: "Victoria, I have completed the impossible book. But I wonder if the world deserves a text that demands so much. Perhaps some labyrinths should remain unexplored."

Scholars speculate that Borges abandoned publication plans due to his progressive blindness, which made reviewing the mirror script increasingly difficult. He entrusted the sole manuscript to Ocampo, who apparently honored an unspoken agreement to keep it hidden.

The María Kodama Foundation, which manages Borges' literary estate, has confirmed the manuscript's authenticity and announced plans for a special edition featuring both the original mirror text and a conventional transcription.

Publication is anticipated for late 2027, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of Borges' death. Literary critics worldwide are already calling it the most anticipated posthumous publication since Kafka's novels were rescued from destruction.