Writers from Imbabura - Ecuadorian Literature

Pastora Alomía de Guerrero

Pastora Alomía de Guerrero (born Pastora Alomía Delgado, 1835 – May 21, 1919) was a poet from Ibarra, Imbabura, Ecuador, celebrated for her lyrical tenderness, harmony, and vivid imagery. After marrying in 1853, she began signing her work as Pastora Alomía de Guerrero or Pastora Alomía Guerrero. Recognized by the press in her time for her poetic talent, she was also a respected figure in her community. Though her poetic output diminished later in life, she left behind a notable body of work, including titles such as Un recuerdo a Pasto (1883), Desahogos y recuerdos (1894), and Una lágrima (1912). Her poems were featured in major Ecuadorian anthologies, such as Parnaso ecuatoriano (1879), where her piece “A María” was included. She died on May 21, 1919, at approximately 84 years of age; while some accounts suggest she may have passed away in Colombia, this has not been definitively confirmed.

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.

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.