Literary Critics - Ecuadorian Literature

Carlos Aulestia

Carlos Hugo Aulestia Páez (Quito, 1973) is an Ecuadorian writer, literary critic, and professor. He holds a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature from the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar and is currently the dean of the Faculty of Communication, Linguistics, and Literature at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Aulestia has authored works spanning fiction, poetry, and essays, including the novel La obscuridad (2016) and the short story collection Flaquita my love (1995). His research focuses on Ibero-American literature, with a notable contribution through his doctoral thesis on Ecuadorian poets Medardo Ángel Silva, César Dávila Andrade, and David Ledesma Vásquez.

Patrizia Di Patre

Patrizia Di Patre is an accomplished Italo-Ecuadorian philologist and literary critic known for her extensive contributions to the study of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque literature and culture in Europe and the Americas. With a doctorate in letters from the University of Florence and a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontificia Università Urbaniana, her remarkable academic journey has paved the way for a distinguished career. Notably, she has shed light on Ecuador’s early literary heritage and organized international academic events while serving as a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. Her prolific research and numerous publications underscore her expertise in the field of literature and cultural studies.

Carlos Calderón Chico

Carlos Calderón Chico (Guayaquil, June 14, 1953 – January 4, 2013) was an influential Ecuadorian historian, writer, journalist, cultural manager, and bibliophile. He pursued a degree in Literature and Spanish from the University of Guayaquil. He emerged as an acclaimed educator, teaching History and Ecuadorian Literature in various Guayaquil schools. Calderón Chico’s contributions extended beyond academia, as he became a crucial figure in Ecuador’s cultural and literary scene. He participated in the management of cultural supplements and magazines, facilitated cultural debates, and engaged with prominent writers, painters, and politicians. As a testament to his dedication, he received the First Class Cultural Merit Decoration from the National Government and was declared Journalist of the Year by the Guayaquil Association of Journalists. His career also spanned overseeing the Ecuadorian Society of Writers, coordinating for Revista Diners, and conducting important research for the Historical Archive of Guayas. Calderón Chico’s writing portfolio boasts numerous publications, interviews, and critical analyses, which have played an integral role in shaping Ecuadorian literature and cultural history.

Michael H. Handelsman

Michael H. Handelsman (Weehawken, New Jersey, United States, May 11, 1948) is an American university professor, scholar, literary critic, and writer. He is professor emeritus of Latin American literature at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he has been teaching since 1976. He has directed the university’s Latin American Studies and Global Studies programs. His principal area of specialization is Ecuadorian literature and culture. Some of his books include: “Amazonas y artistas: Un estudio de la prosa de la mujer Ecuatoriana” (1978), “Lo afro y la plurinacionalidad: el caso ecuatoriano visto desde su literatura” (1999), and “Leyendo la globalización desde la mitad del mundo: identidad y resistencias en el Ecuador” (2005) which received the Isabel Tobar Guarderas award in Quito and the A.B. Thomas award in the U.S. He’s also written extensively on Benjamín Carrión, including: “En torno al verdadero Benjamín Carrión” (1989), “El ideario de Benjamín Carrión” (1992) and “Benjamín Carrión: el pensamiento fundamental” (2007). He’s been a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky, the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil (UCSG), and the Simon Bolivar Andean University of Quito. Since November 12, 2012, he’s been a foreign corresponding member of Ecuador’s National Academy of Language.

Antonio Sacoto Salamea

Antonio Sacoto Salamea (Biblián, Cañar, Ecuador, November 30, 1932) is an Ecuadorian literary critic, essayist, and university professor. He has a PhD from Columbia University in New York. He has served as Director of Latin American Studies and Dean of the College of Romance Languages at the City University of New York (CUNY). He has written around 20 books about Ecuadorian and Latin American literature. His first book was “The Indian in the Ecuadorian novel” (1967), wherein he analyzed the works of Jorge Icaza and Juan León Mera. The municipal library of the city of Azogues is named in his honor. He has been a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language since 2012.

Humberto Vacas Gómez

Humberto Vacas Gómez (Quito, 1913-Quito, 2000) was an Ecuadorian writer, literary critic, poet, journalist, and diplomat. As a journalist, his career is tied to the Quito daily newspaper El Comercio. He served as the Minister of Education between 1963 and 1964 and President of the National Union of Journalists. He was a lifelong supporter of democracy and was persecuted by past totalitarian governments for this reason. In 1937, he published his first book of poems, “Canto a lo oscuro,” which was praised by Isaac J. Barrera in his book “Historia de la Literatura Ecuatoriana.” Vacas’ nonfiction books include “La educación artística de las masas,” “Panorama de la pintura ecuatoriana,”and “Los Estados Unidos que yo vi.” A school in Quito bears his name.