Poets - Ecuadorian Literature

Jacqueline Costales

Jacqueline Costales de Torres, born Lourdes Jacqueline Costales Terán (Riobamba, 1964) is an Ecuadorian poet, writer, columnist, and former university professor. She has published 5 poetry books, a book of short stories, and a nonfiction book. She has also written for the regional magazine Panorama and the Riobamba newspaper La Prensa as a columnist. She is a member of the House of Ecuadorian Culture of Chimborazo, the “Grupo América” Cultural Corporation, and the Association of Contemporary Writers of Ecuador, where she serves as vice president. The National Assembly of Ecuador honored Jacqueline Costales for her contributions to Ecuadorian culture and education by bestowing upon her the “Doctora Matilde Hidalgo de Prócel” Award in 2020. She’s the founder and director of the Casa Cultural Somos Arte Foundation, a non-profit organization with the mission of making art accessible to people of all social classes.

Yuliana Ortiz Ruano

Yuliana Ortiz Ruano (Limones, Esmeraldas, 1992) is an Ecuadorian poet and writer. She has had several of her poems published in both printed and digital magazines. Among her published poetry books are “Sovoz” (2016), “Canciones desde el fin del mundo” (2018), and “Cuaderno del imposible retorno a Pangea” (2021). In 2017, Yuliana received an honorable mention at the international poetry festival “Poetry in Parallel Zero.” She was also awarded the National Literature Award in 2021 in the poetry category for her remarkable contributions to the field. Currently, she serves as an editor and anthologist for the online poetry magazine Cráneo de Pangea. Yuliana’s debut novel, “Fiebre de carnaval” (Carnival Fever), was published in 2022 and received critical acclaim. In 2023, she won the prestigious IESS First Novel Prize in Italy, which recognizes the best first novel by a Latin American author under the age of 35. As part of this award, her book will be translated into Italian. Her novel was also recognized as one of the recommended books of 2022 by the Spanish edition of Vanity Fair magazine and received high praise from author Mónica Ojeda, who named it her favorite novel of the year. Currently, Yuliana Ortiz Ruano resides in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

ben aki

ben aki, pseudonym of Rodrigo Jurado (Ambato, Ecuador, 1967) is an Ecuadorian poet, writer, and university professor. He has published 7 poetry collections, including: “Tesis” (2006), “Telares” (2014), “Cartas desde la cárcel” (2015), “Inicios absolutos” (2016), “Querido señor presidente” (2017), “La piel que habito” (2018), and “Poemas para la tarde y el después” (2019). In 2021, ben aki published a biographical novel about his maternal grandmother, María Agripina Cruz Torres, entitled, “María Agripina.” He currently resides in Ambato where he is Professor of Communication and Academic Writing at the Catholic University of Ecuador.

Victoria Tobar

Victoria Tobar Fierro (Ambato, 1943) is an Ecuadorian poet, writer, and literary critic. In 1983 her first poetry book, “Y de repente” was bestowed the “Juan León Mera” award by the municipality of Ambato. She has written 5 poetry books and her poems have been selected for inclusion in various anthologies of Ecuadorian and Latin American poetry. In 2020 a compilation of her poems was published in a book entitled “Inmensos sentidos” by the publisher El ángel editor.

Mireya Romero Plaza

Mireya Romero Plaza de Bravomalo, aka Mireya de Bravomalo or Mireya Romero y Cordero (Quito, January 29, 1929 – July 2014) was an Ecuadorian poet, novelist, and feminist. In 1953, at the age of 23, she published a novel entitled, “La pena fuimos nosotras,” which was read by many women and that put her in the forefront of feminism in Ecuador in the 50’s. In 1956, she published a poetry book entitled, “Heliofina,” prologued by poet Francisco Granizo Rivadeneira. She sometimes used the pseudonym Marga del Río.

Aida Borja Álvarez

Aida Borja Álvarez was an Ecuadorian historian and poet. In 1959, she released a remarkable collection of poetry titled “Nautilo.” Alongside her poetic endeavors, Aida also delved into nonfiction, producing compelling works such as “El Capitán de los Andes” (1960), a comprehensive two-volume biography chronicling the life of Simon Bolivar. Additionally, she authored “Grecia” (1960), an insightful exploration of Greece’s majestic mountains, its gods, and the people that inhabit its land. Aida’s literary repertoire extended further with “Mi visión del archipiélago” (1963), a captivating book that offered her unique perspective on the enchanting Galápagos Islands.

Enrique Noboa Arízaga

Enrique Noboa Arízaga (Cañar, January 22, 1921 – September 10, 2002) was an Ecuadorian poet and public official who held positions such as Director of Education of Cañar, National Vice President of the House of Ecuadorian Culture, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, among others. His poetry collections include: “Orbita de la pupila Iluminada,” “Ambito del Amor Eterno,” “Biografía Atlántida,” “Las Posadas de Otoño” and “Poética.” He was awarded a “Gold Medal” in the Ibero-American poetry contest in Uruguay, “Capulí de Oro” in Ambato, and First Prize in the “Ismael Pérez Pazmiño” poetry contest, to name a few. He was nicknamed “Oso” [Bear] by his friends due to his corpulent body. Several schools in Ecuador bear his name.

Margarita Dager-Uscocovich

Margarita Dager-Uscocovich (Guayaquil, October 31, 1967) is an Ecuadorian fiction writer, poet, and columnist. Her debut novel, “No es tiempo de morir” was published in Spanish in 2018 and in English in 2019. Her second novel “Las queremos vivas” (2021), deals with the global trafficking of women, and has Guayaquil and Charlotte, N.C as settings. Her short stories and micro-stories have been published in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and the United States. Her poems have been published in the online magazine labelmelatina.com. She is a columnist for the Destinos section of the online magazine La Nota Latina in Miami, FL and Revista Latina NC. She currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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.

Maritza Cino

Maritza Cino Alvear (Guayaquil, 1957) is an Ecuadorian poet and university professor. She has published 8 poetry collections and a collection of 23 short stories entitled “Días frívolos” [Frivolous Days]. Her poems have appeared in Latin American and Spanish magazines, as well as U.S.-based online magazines. In addition, some of her poetry has been translated into English, Italian and French. Her latest poetry collection “El temblor de los huertos” [The Tremor of the Orchards] was published in 2022.

Maria Cecilia Corella

Maria Cecilia Corella Ramírez (Daule, September 9, 1967) is an Ecuadorian writer, poet, and cultural promoter. She has authored five books: “Poesías amatorias,” “Poemas Corellanos,” “La voz de los Daulis,” “Versos caminantes,” and “Daulis.” From 1985 to 2015, she was the editor of La Voz de los Daulis, a literary, historical, and cultural magazine. She hosts a local cultural TV show Viernes de Cultura y literatura on DV Daule Vision. She is presently the president of the Corporación Cultural Daule, whose cultural event, Sofá Cultural, aims to promote Daule’s literature, dance, music, and other local art forms. She is a member of the World Hispanic Union of Writers and the Union of Writers and Artists of Tarija.

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.”

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.