21st Century Writers - Ecuadorian Literature

Luis Alberto Bravo

Luis Alberto Bravo Piña (Milagro, 1979) is an Ecuadorian writer, widely recognized for his novels, short stories, and poetry. His poetry collections, “Antropología pop” (2010) and “Utolands” (2011), have been particularly well-received. In 2011, Piña was named as one of the “25 best-kept literary secrets of Latin America” by the Guadalajara International Book Festival. His novelistic works include “Septiembre” (2013), “Hotel Bartleby” (2013), “El jardinero de los Rolling Stones” (2016), and “Crow” (2017). Bravo’s excellence in writing was further solidified in 2022 when he received the José Donoso Pareja Narrative Award for his short novel “Asia.” This innovative work skillfully interweaves historical events with fictional narrative, recounting a journey to Guayaquil, Ecuador, undertaken by the renowned American writer and artist William Burroughs in the 1950s.

Jorge Rivadeneyra

Jorge Rivadeneyra Altamirano (Riobamba, 1930) is an Ecuadorian novelist, short story writer, essayist, columnist, and professor. His first novel, “Ya está amaneciendo,” appeared in 1957. He has written several books of short stories, including: “Encrucijada” (1960), “Ismata” (1993), and “Chacamandaca”(2015). Since 2002, he has lived in Caracas, Venezuela, where he has taught doctoral students at Venezuela’s Central University as a Professor of Social Sciences.

Rocío Durán-Barba

Rocío Durán-Barba (Quito, 1956) is a Franco-Ecuadorian writer, poet, novelist, essayist, journalist, and painter. With over seventy published works across multiple genres, her literary contributions span both Spanish and French, often exploring themes of identity, culture, and revolution. Durán-Barba’s debut novel, París sueño eterno (1997), earned critical acclaim and was translated into French by Claude Couffon. In addition to her literary career, she has been an influential figure in academia, cultural diplomacy, and the arts, having worked with UNESCO and exhibiting her artwork internationally. Durán-Barba currently resides between Paris and Geneva.

Charles J. García Plúas

Dr. Charles J. García Plúas (Daule, 1964 – April 5, 2020) was an Ecuadorian writer, editor, biographer, historian, professor, researcher, and cultural promoter. He was a Language and Spanish professor with a doctorate in Education Sciences. He belonged to various cultural organizations in Ecuador. He authored over twenty books that narrate the history of towns settled on the banks of the Daule River, including Balzar, Colimes, Santa Lucía and others. He served as the Subdirector of Culture and Education of the Municipality of the Daule canton. In 2020, the Guayas chapter of the House of Ecuadorian Culture named a virtual festival in his honor. In 2021, the new Municipal Cultural Center (Centro Municipal de Cultura) of Daule, a three-story building which will house a museum, library, and more, was named “Dr. Charles García Plúas.”

Lola Orbe Carrera

Lola Orbe Carrera, born Luz María Dolores Orbe Carrera (Otavalo, March 31, 1920 – Quito, August 16, 2004) was an Ecuadorian writer, poet, teacher, director of schools and colleges in the province of Imbabura. In 1954, UNESCO awarded her a scholarship to Uruguay and Argentina. She wrote poetry, essays, hymns, biographies, among others. She admired and corresponded with the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral.

Juliana Espinosa R.

Juliana Espinosa R. (Ibarra, 1986) is an Ecuadorian writer and social communicator. Her literary debut novel “Las Manos de Alondra” (2017) remains her only published work to date. The story revolves around a young girl who confronts the profound loss of her mother and sets off on a transformative journey of self-discovery. Espinosa skillfully explores themes of family, love, resilience, and personal growth, captivating readers with her sincere and engaging narrative. “Las Manos de Alondra” serves as a testament to Espinosa’s potential as a distinct and promising author.

Pedro Artieda Santacruz

Pedro Artieda Santacruz (Quito, 1964) is a psychologist, novelist, short story writer, journalist, essayist, literary critic, and professor. In 2003, he published a study titled “La homosexualidad masculina en la narrativa ecuatoriana” [Male Homosexuality in Ecuadorian Narrative], which received the Manuela Saénz Prize in 2004. His first novel, “Nadie sabe con certeza” [Nobody Knows For Sure], was published in 2001, followed by the psychological science fiction novel “La última pared roja” [The Last Red Wall]. In 2011, he released a collection of short stories titled “Lo oculto de la noche” [The Hidden Night], and in 2013, his third novel “Bajo el hábito” [Beneath the Habit] received an honorable mention at the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize for Best Novel of the Year. This novel tells the story of a transgender Franciscan living in a monastery in Quito. Pedro Artieda Santacruz has contributed to newspapers such as El Comercio and Hoy, and his articles on literature, cinema, and gender have been published in various magazines including Diners, El Búho, and Vistazo, among others.

Fernando Itúrburu

Fernando Itúrburu Rivadeneira (Guayaquil, 1960) is a writer, poet, essayist, literary critic, translator, and renowned scholar of Latin American literature. He is a Spanish professor in the Languages department at SUNY Plattsburgh where he has taught Latin American colonial and 20th century literatures, Cultural Studies, Women’s Studies, and Creative Writing. Often in collaboration with American professor Alexis Levitin, also of SUNY Plattsburgh, he has translated various Ecuadorian poets from Spanish to English. In 2009, they published “Tapestry of the Sun,” a bilingual anthology of Ecuadorian poets, which includes first-time translations of various Ecuadorian poets, largely from Guayaquil. Their translations of Ecuadorian poetry have also appeared in several literary journals. He was a member of the Guayaquil literary group Sicoseo. He has been a member of the House of Ecuadorian Culture since 1984.

Mariella Toranzos

Mariella Toranzos Narváez (Guayaquil, January 24, 1988) is an Ecuadorian journalist, poet, and editor. Before becoming the Society editor for the daily newspaper Diario Expreso, she worked at the paper as a news reporter covering politics, and, as the sub-chief of its Guayaquil section, covering cultural topics. She has also written features on contemporary Ecuadorian authors, helping to introduce them to wider audiences. As a poet, she has participated in the Ileana Espinel Poetry Festival as well as other literary events in Guayaquil.

Gladys Potosí Chuquín

Gladys Potosí Chuquín (Angochagua, Imbabura, February 17, 1981) is an Ecuadorian poet and activist who is a member of the Kichwa-Karanki indigenous community. Like the Otavalo, the Natabuela, and the Puruhá, the Karanki are a pre-Inca tribe who adopted the Kichwa language (Quechua) as a result of Incan influence. However, the Iberian invasion that followed the Inca one eventually imposed Spanish as the main language in the Andean area where she is from. She stopped writing in Spanish so that she could find her voice in Kichwa (Quechua), and her poetry serves as a witness to or reflection of the changes that have occurred among her people and herself. She has represented Ecuador at various literature festivals in and outside of Ecuador.

Jacinto Cordero Espinosa

Jacinto Cordero Espinosa (Cuenca, June 25, 1926 – September 29, 2018) was an Ecuadorian poet. He authored several poetry collections and his poems have been included in various poetry anthologies both at home and abroad. In addition to being a professor in the Faculty of jurisprudence at the University of Cuenca, he was the director of the Azuayan Folklore Institute and president of the Commission of the Castle of Ingapirca. He was a recipient of the National Cultural Merit Medal from the House of Ecuadorian Culture. He also received the Cultural Merit Medal from Ecuador’s Ministry of Education. He was a corresponding member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language and a member of the House of Ecuadorian Culture. Some of his poems have been translated into English, French, Portuguese, and German.

Santiago Rivadeneira Aguirre

Santiago Rivadeneira Aguirre (Quito) is an Ecuadorian writer, editor, theater critic, and university professor. From 1973-2000, he was the coordinator of the Theater School at the School of Fine Arts of the Central University of Ecuador. He was a member of the editorial board of the magazine Eskeletra and of the writer’s workshop La Pequeñalulupa. Among his best-known books are: “De cantos y huellas” (1976), “Las venturas de la abuela rota” (1995), and “Los sonidos del pensar en el teatro y la danza” (2017). He has taught literature, philosophy, theater, and cinema at universities.

Alfredo Noriega

Afredo Noriega Fernández (Quito, 1962) is an Ecuadorian writer, novelist, short story writer, and playwright. In the early 1980’s he was a member of the writing workshop of Miguel Donoso Pareja and founded the group La Pequeñalulupa. In 1985, he moved to Paris, France where he studied linguistics at the Sorbonne Nouvelle. He lived in Paris and Brussels for many years and now lives in Cardiff, United Kingdom. He has worked as a Spanish professor at universities. He is a highly-acclaimed author of noir novels. Some of his best-known work includes the 2002 novel “De que nada se sabe,” (translated into French as C’est dur de mourir au printemps), its 2010 sequel “Tan solo morir” (translated as Mourir, la belle affaire), and the trilogy’s final book, the 2019 novel “Eso si nunca.” The first book of this trilogy, “De que nada se sabe,” was adapted into the 2008 film “Cuando me toque a mí,” directed by Víctor Arregui, who collaborated with Noriega on the screenplay. He has published novels, short story collections, poetry collections, and plays. His stories have been included in several national and international anthologies.

Carlos Coello García

Carlos Coello García (Manta, 1983) is an Ecuadorian lawyer, writer, and poet. He lives in the city of Santa Ana in the Manabi province. He has published three poetry collections: “La inspiración de un fantasma” (2002) “La creación perfecta” (2009) and “El origen del mal y otros poemas” (2017). His novel, “Leyendas de un fauno” (2018), is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. His latest book, “Oculto” (2022) is a horror novel. Some of his poems and stories have been published in newspapers in his province and digital blogs.

Rafael Lugo

Rafael Lugo Naranjo (Quito, 1972) is an Ecuadorian writer and lawyer. He is a litigator in the courts and tribunals of Ecuador and the author of a book of short stories, five novels, two books of chronicles and many articles published in different media. Among his best-known works are the novels in the trilogy Trilogía de Quito, which include: Veinte (2008), 7 (2012) and 207 (2017). Critics have also praised his most recent novels Tripa mistic (2019) and Tripa mistic II (2022).