The Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize

The Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize (Spanish: Premio Nacional de Narrativa Joaquín Gallegos Lara) is a prestigious literary award in Ecuador, named after the renowned Ecuadorian writer Joaquín Gallegos Lara. This prize honors outstanding contributions in the field of fiction, celebrating works that demonstrate exceptional narrative skill and innovation. Established to recognize and encourage literary talent within Ecuador, the award has become a symbol of excellence in storytelling, fostering a rich literary culture in the country. Each year, it draws submissions from a diverse range of authors, showcasing the depth and variety of Ecuadorian fiction. The winning works often explore complex themes and reflect the social, cultural, and historical landscape of Ecuador, contributing significantly to the nation’s literary heritage. The Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize not only honors individual achievements but also highlights the importance of literature as a means of cultural expression and intellectual exploration in Ecuador. Since 1989 has been awarded yearly by the Municipality of Quito, Ecuador to the best national works in three categories: the short story, the novel, and theater.

The Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Fiction Prize (Premio Nacional de Narrativa Joaquín Gallegos Lara) is one of Ecuador’s most prestigious literary awards, granted annually by the Municipality of Quito. Named after the renowned Ecuadorian writer Joaquín Gallegos Lara, the award honors his legacy and significant contributions to Ecuadorian literature, particularly his engagement with social and cultural issues. It recognizes the most outstanding literary works published each year in the categories of novel, short story, and theater.

Purpose and Categories

Established in 1989, the prize is aimed at encouraging and rewarding excellence in Ecuadorian literature. It celebrates works that exhibit outstanding narrative quality and relevance to Ecuador’s cultural and social landscape. The award is granted in the following three primary categories:

1. Novel (novela)
2. Short Story (cuento)
3. Theater (teatro)

Frequency and Connection to Quito’s Cultural Celebrations

The prize is awarded annually on December 1, coinciding with the Fiestas de Quito, which celebrate the founding of Ecuador’s capital. The award ceremony is part of a broader cultural event known as the Day of Interculturality in Quito, highlighting the city’s rich diversity. The Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize is presented alongside the Jorge Carrera Andrade Poetry Prize, which honors achievements in poetry, making the event an important moment in the nation’s literary calendar.

Rules and Eligibility

The Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize is open to Ecuadorian writers whose works of fiction and theater have been published in Ecuador during the preceding year.

• Eligible Works: Only published works are considered. Unpublished works or those published outside Ecuador are ineligible.
• Submission Requirements: Works must fall under the specified categories—novel, short story, or theater—and must be published within the designated year.
• Selection Process: A panel of literary experts, including authors, critics, and scholars, evaluates submissions based on their narrative quality, originality, and engagement with Ecuadorian culture and social issues.

Prizes and Recognition

Winners in each category receive:

• “Rumiñahui de Oro” Statuette: This is the symbolic award, named after Rumiñahui, the Incan general who is a national hero in Ecuador. The statuette represents strength, resistance, and resilience, qualities that are often reflected in the awarded works.
• Prestige: While the prize does not typically include a large financial reward, it confers significant prestige within Ecuador and across Latin America. Winning the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize often boosts an author’s career, leading to greater national and international visibility.

Notable Winners

Over the years, many of Ecuador’s most celebrated authors have been recognized by the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize, significantly boosting their literary reputations. Some notable winners include:

• Íñigo Salvador for 1822, La novela de la independencia (2022, Novel)
• Gabriela Ponce Padilla for Sanguínea (2021, Novel) and Solo hay un jardín, en el fondo de todo hay un jardín (2021, Theater)
• José Hidalgo Pallares for El manual de la derrota (2019, Short Story)
• Daniela Alcívar Bellolio for Siberia (2018, Novel)
• Abdón Ubidia, a celebrated author, for works like La Madriguera (2004, Novel)

The awarded works often explore complex social, historical, and cultural themes, contributing significantly to Ecuador’s literary heritage and engaging deeply with the country’s identity.

Not Awarded Occurrences

In some instances, the prize has not been awarded in specific categories or years. For example, in 2020, no awards were given, demonstrating the selection panel’s commitment to maintaining high literary standards and only recognizing works that meet their criteria for excellence.

List of winners

Title	Author	Category	Year
1822, La novela de la independencia	Íñigo Salvador	Novel	2022
Una boca sin dientes	Jorge Vargas Chavarría	Short Story	2022
Sanguínea	Gabriela Ponce Padilla	Novel	2021
Soplen vientos y a romper mejillas	Esteban Mayorga	Short Story	2021
Solo hay un jardín, en el fondo de todo hay un jardín	Gabriela Ponce Padilla	Theater	2021
Not awarded			2020
El manual de la derrota	José Hidalgo Pallares	Short Story	2019
El nuevo Zaldumbide	Salvador Izquierdo	Novel	2019
Siberia	Daniela Alcívar Bellolio	Novel	2018
Pelea de gallos	María Fernanda Ampuero	Short Story	2018
Lugar	Gabriela Ponce Padilla	Theater	2018
Mickey Mouse a Gogo	Paul Puma	Theater	2017
Las moscas y otros cuentos	Jorge Luis Cáceres	Short Story	2017
Humo	Gabriela Alemán	Novel	2017
Altanoche	Andrés Cadena	Short Story	2016
La curiosa muerte de María del Río	Juan Pablo Castro	Novel	2016
Tiempo	Abdón Ubidia	Short Story	2015
Todo ese ayer	Oscar Vela	Novel	2015
Los años perdidos	Juan Pablo Castro	Novel	2014
La muerte silba un blues	Gabriela Alemán	Short Story	2014
Caminando sobre arenas movedizas	Patricio Vallejo	Theater	2013
Pubis equinoccial	Raúl Vallejo	Short Story	2013
Volcán de Niebla	Jaime Marchan	Novel	2013
Malas compañías y otros caballos de Troya	Édison Paucar	Short Story	2012
Oscurana	Luis Carlos Mussó	Novel	2012
Las comedias de la muerte	Peky Andino	Theater	2011
Del otro lado de la ventana	Augusto Rodriguez	Short Story	2011
Desnuda oscuridad	Oscar Vela	Novel	2011
Dramaturgia desde el mar	Aristides Vargas	Theater	2010
Balas perdidas	Solange Rodríguez Pappe	Short Story	2010
El Grito del Hada	Adolfo Macías Huerta	Novel	2010
Juegos de Proteo	Juan Valdano	Short Story	2009
El Sabor de la Condena	Francisco Proaño Arandi	Novel	2009
Un cuento violento	Esteban Mayorga	Short Story	2008
Miércoles y estiércoles	Diego Cornejo Menacho	Novel	2008
El invitado​	Carlos Arcos Cabrera	Novel	2007
El pan y la carne	Cristóbal Zapata	Short Story	2007
¿Quién me ayuda a matar a mi mujer?	Carlos Carrión	Novel	2006
Medea llama por cobrar	Peky Andino	Theater	2006
Me descambias la vida	Roque Espinosa	Short Story	2006
Historias cercanas​	José Hidalgo Pallares	Short Story	2005
El palacio del diablo	Modesto Ponce	Novel	2005
Relatos del día libre	Eliécer Cárdenas	Short Story	2004
La Madriguera	Abdón Ubidia	Novel	2004
Historia del país fingido	Francisco Proaño Arandi	Short Story	2003
Vientos de agosto	Carlos Arcos Cabrera	Novel	2003
La piscina​	Francisco Granizo	Novel	2002
La Celada	Juan Valdano	Short Story	2002
Libro de los sueños​	Jorge Dávila Vázquez	Short Story	2001
Los Nazarenos	Marcelo Lalama	Novel	2001
Flujo escarlata	Sonia Manzano Vela	Short Story	1999
Acoso textual	Raúl Vallejo	Novel	1999
Anillos de serpiente	Juan Valdano	Novel	1998
Las mujeres están locas por mí	Raúl Serrano Sánchez	Short Story	1997
La noche del rebaño	Luis Félix López	Novel	1996
El Examinador	Adolfo Macías Huerta	Short Story	1996
El corazón es un animal en celo	Carlos Carrión	Short Story	1995
El cristo feo	Alicia Yánez Cossío	Novel	1995
Profundo en la Galaxia	Santiago Páez	N/A	1994
Fiesta de solitarios	Raúl Vallejo	N/A	1992
Manuela	Luis Zúñiga	N/A	1991
El hombre de la mirada oblícua	Javier Vásconez	N/A	1990
Loco para loca la loca: cuentos para despeinarse la cara	Huilo Ruales	N/A	1989