Alejandro Aura was born on March 2, 1944, to a family from the San Rafael borough of Mexico City.
His father Olimpo Aura Pineda was a mathematician, and his mother Ema Palacios Ordorica, whose grandfather Manuel Ordorica worked at the National Palace of Mexico with President Porfirio Díaz, was descendant of an aristocratic family.
[1] Besides his literary activities, he was director of the Theater and Dance department of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
[1] During his term, Aura promoted the use of public spaces for cultural activities and created reading clubs.
[1] He was director of the Institute of Culture of Mexico in Madrid, Spain from July, 2001, to December, 2003.