Poets - Ecuadorian Literature

Julio Pazos Barrera

Julio Pazos Barrera is a poet, writer, teacher, and cook. He was born in Baños, Ecuador on August 19, 1944. In 1979, Pazos’ poetry book La ciudad de las visiones was awarded the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize. In 1982, his book Levantamiento del país con textos libres was awarded Latin America’s most prestigious literary award, the Casa de las Américas Prize (Havana, Cuba). Pazos is the editor-in-chief of the magazine Letras del Ecuador published by the Ecuadorian House of Culture. He is a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language. In 2010, Pazos was awarded Ecuador’s top literary prize Premio Eugenio Espejo by President Rafael Correa.

Carlos Benavides Vega

Carlos Benavides Vega, pseudonym: Álvaro San Félix (Guayaquil, March 9, 1931 – Quito, September 29, 1999) was an Ecuadorian poet, actor and playwright. He was a member of Club 7, a Guayaquil-based poets’ group founded in the 1950s. In 1954, Benavides was among one of five members who together published a poetry collection titled “Club 7.” He was a pioneer of historical drama, authoring the plays, “La herida de Dios” (1978; winner of the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize) about Gabriel Garcia Moreno, “Espejo, elias Chushig” (1979), and “Caudillos en llamas” (1980). He also co-wrote “Una loca Estrella,” a historical play about Manuelita Sáenz, with Pedro Saad Herrería.

Marco Vinicio Rueda

Father Marco Vinicio Rueda Gomezjurado was a Jesuit priest, philosopher, anthropologist, writer, educator. He was born in Quito, Ecuador on August 12, 1914 and died in the same city on March 13, 2005. Rueda was an exponent of Zen in Ecuador. Rueda’s most notable books are concerned with philosophy, anthropology and Zen.

Jorge Carrera Andrade

Jorge Carrera Andrade (Quito, September 18, 1903 – Quito, November 7, 1978) was an Ecuadorian writer, poet, diplomat, and university professor. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential Latin American poets of the twentieth century both during his lifetime and after his death. Muna Lee’s critically-acclaimed translation of his poetry collection, Secret Country (1946), brought him to prominence in the United States. He lectured at Stony Brook University in the Department of Romance Languages in 1970-1972, he also guest lectured at Harvard University and Vassar College during this period. Most of his poetry has been translated into French, German, Russian and English.

Andrea Crespo

Andrea Priscila Crespo Granda (Guayaquil, October 4, 1983) is an Ecuadorian poet. In 2016 her book of poetry “Registro de la habitada” was awarded the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize. In 2017 her next book of poetry “Libro Hémbrico” won the House of Ecuadorian Culture’s David Ledesma Vásquez National Poetry Contest. She currently teaches at the University of the Arts in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Aurelio Espinosa Pólit

Aurelio Espinosa Pólit (Quito, July 11, 1894 – Quito, January 21, 1961) was an Ecuadorian Jesuit priest, writer, poet, translator, literary critic, and university professor. He co-founded the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and served as its first rector, making significant contributions to education in the country. Renowned for his translations of Latin poets Virgil and Horace, as well as Greek playwright Sophocles, into Spanish, he was a prolific writer who produced over 600 works in his lifetime. Espinosa Pólit also founded the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Museum and Library in Quito, which became a cornerstone for Ecuadorian literary heritage. In recognition of his impact on literature and culture, the prestigious Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize for Literature was named in his honor.

Huilo Ruales

Huilo Ruales Hualca (Ibarra, Ecuador, March 25, 1947) is a prominent Ecuadorian writer whose work spans multiple genres, including novels, short stories, poetry, theater, and chronicles. Known for his exploration of marginalized characters and social outcasts, Ruales’ gritty and poetic prose has garnered significant recognition, including the Premio Joaquín Gallegos Lara (1989) and the Premio Aurelio Espinosa Pólit (1994). His writing has been translated into several languages, and he currently resides in Paris, France.

Jorge Enrique Adoum Interviewed on CUNY TV (1998) Spanish Audio

Taped: 3/6/1998)
Length: 28:31

Hosts Jose Maria Conget and Raquel Chang-Rodriguez interview Ecuadorian writer, poet, politician and diplomat, Jorge Enrique Adoum, about his books. “Ecuador Amargo” and “Entre Marx y una Mujer Desnuda,” a novel that was made into a film.

Juan León Mera

Juan León Mera Martínez (Ambato, June 28, 1832 – Ambato, December 13, 1894) was an Ecuadorian poet, novelist, essayist, politician and painter. In 1865 he penned the lyrics for Ecuador’s National Anthem “¡Salve, Oh Patria!” and in 1879 he wrote the novel “Cumandá” which is regarded as Ecuador’s first full-length novel. The novel’s complex characters, lyrical prose, and riveting plot, set against the backdrop of the Amazonian jungle, have made it a revered classic that continues to captivate readers to this day. Juan León Mera was a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language, and a corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Language.