Unpublished Borges manuscript found in Argentina

Researchers combing the archives of Argentina's national library have found an unpublished manuscript written by literary giant Jorge Luis Borges.

Librarians Laura Rosato and German Alvarez found an alternate ending to the Borges short story 'Tema del traidor y del heroe' (Theme of the Traitor and the Hero), which was first published in 1944, it was reported on Thursday.

The story's final paragraph, penned in the Argentine author's unmistakable small handwriting, was discovered inside a magazine.

"It's the first time a loose page handwritten (by Borges) has been found," the national library's cultural director Ezequiel Grimson said.

Grimson added that it was the first major manuscript by Borges (1899-1986) in the possession of the state, noting that the rest belong to private collections.

The handwritten document was being reviewed by the national library researchers and would later be published, he said.

Borges may have planned for the manuscript to be discovered, since in "Tema del traidor and del heroe" the protagonist's great grandson discovers a handwritten article in the national library's archives.