Walter Bellolio (Guayaquil, 1930 – 1974) was a well-regarded Ecuadorian short story writer. During his lifetime, he published a number of short story collections, and his work has appeared in several anthologies. He traveled to Spain in 1974 to publish the book that would make him famous, “Crónica del hombre que aprendió a llorar,” [Story of the Man Who Learned to Cry] but was killed by a car that struck him shortly after arriving. The House of Ecuadorian Culture published the book posthumously in 1975. He is the maternal grandfather of the writer Daniela Alcívar Bellolio.
Awards and recognitions
In 1968, Walter Bellolio won the “José de la Cuadra” Award, with his short story collection “El largo camino de la playa” [The Long Path to the Beach].
Death
Walter Bellolio was hired by a Spanish publishing house in 1973 to publish his collection of short stories “Crónica del hombre que aprendió a llorar” [Story of the Man Who Learned to Cry], but he was killed by a car in Madrid shortly after arriving.
Works
Fiction
- La noche del 31 (Guayaquil, 1955)
- Cuentos: El regalo (1967)
- Los mejores cuentos ecuatorianos (1967)
- El regalo ; La moneda ; Las gamusinas ; El soldado guerrero (1967)
- La sonrisa y la ira (Guayaquil, 1968)
- El largo camino de la playa -Premio Nacional “José de la Cuadra”, 1968- (Guayaquil, 1972)
- Crónica del hombre que aprendió a llorar (Guayaquil, 1975)
His short stories have been included in the following books
- 10 cuentos universitarios (Guayaquil, 1953)
- Cuento ecuatoriano contemporáneo (Guayaquil, s.f.)
- Antología de autores ecuatorianos, (s.f)
- Cuento contigo (Guayaquil, 1993)
- 40 cuentos ecuatorianos (Guayaquil, 1997)
- Antología básica del cuento ecuatoriano (Quito, 1998).