Ecuadorian Novelists - Ecuadorian Literature

Edgar Allan García

Edgar Allan García (Guayaquil, December 17, 1958) is an Ecuadorian writer and cultural promoter. He has 74 books to his credit, including short stories, poetry, novels, biography, nonfiction, essays and children’s literature. His works have been published in Ecuador, Spain, Peru, Mexico and Argentina. His book “Leyendas del Ecuador” is read in primary and secondary schools while his young adult novel “El rey del mundo” was chosen as part of Argentina’s national reading program. His poetry and short stories have also been included in several anthologies, and in 2010 he was included in Jaime García Padrino’s “Great Dictionary of Latin American Authors of Children’s and Youth Literature.” He also serves as the director of Ecuador’s José de la Cuadra National Book and Reading Plan. Some of his stories have been translated into French.

Gilda Holst

Gilda Holst Molestina (Guayaquil, 1952 – Guayaquil, October 22, 2024) was an Ecuadorian writer and university professor. Known for her use of irony and humor, her works addressed themes of gender inequality and societal norms. She authored three notable short story collections: Más sin nombre que nunca (1989), Turba de signos (1995), and Bumerán (2006), as well as the novel Dar con ella (2000). Her work was included in several anthologies, including Cruel Fictions, Cruel Realities: Short Stories by Latin American Women Writers (1997), edited and translated by Kathy S. Leonard. In 2021, Editorial Cadáver Exquisito released her Obra completa (Complete Works). Holst was also a key figure in Ecuadorian literature, a professor at the Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, and director of its School of Letters.

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.

Javier Ponce

Javier Ponce Cevallos (Quito, April 28, 1948) is an Ecuadorian author, journalist, and politician. Additionally, he spent many years working as an editorial writer for the newspapers El Universo and Hoy. He has held various public posts, including Minister of Defense (2008–2012) and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture, and Fisheries (2012–2017), both held under President Rafael Correa’s administration. In 1982, he published his first book of poetry, “A espaldas de otros lenguajes,” followed by “Escrito lejos” (1984), “Los codices de Lorenzo Trinidad” (1984), “Texto en ruinas” (1999) and “Afuera es la noche” (2000). In 1990, he wrote his first novel, “El insomnio de Nazario Mieles,” followed by “Es tan difícil morir” (1994), and “Resígnate a perder” (1998) whose plot revolves around a character named Santos Feijó, the director of Quito’s Historical Archive, and his two loves, a woman named Nadja and a transvestite prostitute known as “Caramelo.”

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.

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.

Eduardo Solá Franco

Eduardo Solá Franco (Guayaquil, Ecuador 1915 – Santiago, Chile, 1996) was a prolific and multi-faceted artist, perhaps the most diverse Ecuador has ever produced. His staggering output included not only hundreds of paintings in a variety of styles but also sculpture, illustrations for magazines and film, stage scenery, plays, poetry and novels, choreographed ballets, award-winning experimental films and, perhaps most intriguing of all, a series of 14 illustrated diaries in which he recorded, “all that which I saw of interest and that attracted me: people, landscapes, cities, states of being, spectacles, parties, and fashion.” He was also a public figure, he served for years as Ecuador’s cultural attache in Rome, mingling with artists, thinkers, and society figures of Europe, the United States, and South America.

Manuel Gallegos Naranjo

Manuel Gallegos Naranjo (Guayaquil, March 26, 1845 – Ibídem , 1917) was a prominent Ecuadorian chronicler, novelist, and poet during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1871, he founded the magazine Espejo, which provoked the ire of President Gabriel García Moreno, leading to Gallegos Naranjo’s exile to Chile. Upon his return to Ecuador, he supported General Ignacio de Veintimilla and established the newspaper Ocho de Septiembre, receiving a government salary. He eventually relocated to Quito. In 1878, he began publishing his initial works as a writer. Subsequently, he released a critical loose leaf targeting Juan León Mera, a supporter of García Moreno. Gallegos Naranjo contributed to the newspaper La Nación in his hometown and served as the editor of Diario Los Andes. In 1883, he published “El Almanaque Ecuatoriano” [The Ecuadorian Almanac] a comprehensive reference containing valuable information across its extensive 300-page content. In 1895, he suffered from thrombosis, leaving him wheelchair-bound. Gallegos Naranjo’s work “Celebridades Malditas” is a historical novel that delves into the lives of infamous characters from old Guayaquil who became entangled in criminal activities due to their ill-fated choices. This novel has been reprinted by the Editorial of the Municipal Library of Guayaquil. Additionally, six of his unpublished works are preserved in the Carlos Alberto Rolando National Authors Library in Guayaquil.

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).

Pedro Isaac Barreiro

Pedro Isaac Barreiro (Santa Ana, Manabi, July 3, 1949) is an Ecuadorian medical doctor, public health specialist, writer, novelist, short story writer, and poet. Passionate about writing and the proper use of the Spanish language, he ventured into the world of literature from a very young age (essays, short stories, poetry and novels) with notable success, and has several publications to his credit. His notable poetry collections include, “De Regreso” (1990), and “Los Versos Prohibidos” (2008). His prose includes a genre that he calls “miniatures,” compiled in books that have been very well received by critics, such as: “Tarqui 707” (1995), “Mamita Galud” (2002), or “El Tendón de Aquiles” (2009). In 2013, he published his first novel ”El Escritor,” an exciting journey through the human psyche. He is a member of the Ecuadorian House of Culture and the Ecuadorian Corporation of Medical Writers, an organization that is part of the World Union of Medical Writers.