Writers from Quito - Ecuadorian Literature

Jorge Luis Cáceres

Jorge Luis Cáceres is an Ecuadorian short story writer, editor and anthologist. He was born in 1982 in Quito. In 2013 he published a best-selling anthology titled No entren al 1408, a tribute to the “master of horror” Stephen King. The original edition of the book consisted of 22 Spanish-language horror stories by authors from various countries. Subsequent editions contained stories by authors of up to 30 countries, including Ecuador, Cuba, Argentina, Peru and Mexico. In 2012, he was recognized as one of “the 34 Latin American authors of unquestionable literary quality” at the Guadalajara International Book Fair.

Carlos Arcos Cabrera

Carlos Arcos Cabrera (Quito, 1951) is an Ecuadorian sociologist and writer. He began his writing career with the novel “Un asunto de familia” in 1997, followed by “Vientos de agosto” in 2003 and “El invitado” in 2007, both of which won the Joaquin Gallegos Lara Prize in their respective years of publication. He has also written books for young people, including “Memorias de Andrés Chiliquinga” in 2013, which features the character Andrés Chiliquinga from Jorge Icaza’s 1934 novel “Huasipungo.”

Abdón Ubidia

Abdón Ubidia is a novelist, short story writer and playwright. He was born in Quito in 1944. He is considered one of the most important voices of modern Ecuadorian literature. In 1986 he published Sueño de lobos, which was hailed by critics as the book of the decade. It was translated into English in 1996 as Wolves’ Dream. In 2012, President Rafael Correa awarded Ubidia with the Eugenio Espejo Prize in Literature, Ecuador’s top literary prize. Ubidia’s books have been translated into many languages.

María Fernanda Heredia

María Fernanda Heredia Pacheco (Quito, March 1, 1970) is a prolific Ecuadorian writer, illustrator, and graphic designer. With a rich portfolio of short stories and novels tailored for children and young adults, she’s made notable contributions to Latin American literature. One of her standout achievements is her debut novel, “Amigo se escribe con H” (2002), which garnered the prestigious Norma-Fundalectura Latin American Children’s and Youth Literature Award that same year. Since 2008, she has contributed to Hogar magazine as a regular columnist, focusing on adult audiences. Among her numerous accolades, she’s been honored with the Darío Guevara Mayorga National Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award on multiple occasions, the “A la orilla del viento” Prize, the Benny Award from the Printing Industries of America (PIA) for outstanding children’s book illustration, and most recently, the esteemed Premio Cervantes Chico (Little Cervantes Prize) in 2023. She currently lives in Lima, Peru.

Óscar Vela

Óscar Vela Descalzo is an Ecuadorian lawyer and writer who is considered one of the most representative contemporary literary voices of Ecuador. He was born in Quito, Ecuador in 1968. His novels Desnuda oscuridad (2011) and Todo ese ayer (2015) both won the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize for best novel of the year. His novel Yo soy el fuego (2013) won the Jorge Icaza Prize. His novel Ahora que cae la niebla (2019) tells the story of Manuel Antonio Muñoz Borrero, an Ecuadorian diplomat stationed in Stockholm during World War II who issued passports to hundreds of Jews in order to save their lives. His latest novel, Los crímenes de Bartow, was published in 2021. Since 2019 he has been a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language.

Marcela Ribadeneira

Marcela Ribadeneira (Quito, 1982) is a writer, journalist, film critic, and visual artist, renowned for her profound exploration of themes like mortality, bio-experimentation, and the normalization of terror. Educated in film directing at the Scuola Internazionale di Cinema e Televisione in Rome, her artistic endeavors span across various mediums. Ribadeneira’s notable literary work, “Golems,” reflects her unique blend of literary and cinematic insights. She is the co-founder of the publisher La Linea Negra with her husband, Eduardo Varas. Her stories and journalistic articles have been published in magazine such as: Gatopardo Ecuador, Ronda (Iberia), SoHo, Mundo Diners, Siente (Tame), In and Vamos (Latam).

Cristián Londoño Proaño

Cristián Londoño Proaño is an Ecuadorian science fiction and fantasy writer, poet, screenwriter, film producer and director. He was born in 1973 in Quito, Ecuador. He has invented and developed the concept of the Andean fantasy novel. Most notable among his novels is the “El Instinto de la Luz” trilogy, which consists of the books El Instinto de la Luz (2011), El Tiempo Muerto (2015), and El retorno de la luz (2018).

Alicia Yánez Cossío

Alicia Yánez Cossío (Quito, September 10, 1928) is an Ecuadorian novelist, poet, short story writer, and journalist. She is considered one of the 2oth Century’s most important literary figures of Ecuador and Latin America. Since 1991 she has been a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language. In 1996, with her novel El cristo feo (1995), Yánez became the first Ecuadorian to win the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize (Guadalajara, Mexico), one of the most prestigious awards for female authors in the Spanish speaking world. In 2008 she received Ecuador’s highest literary award, the Eugenio Espejo Award, for her lifetime of work.

Peky Andino

Peky Andino Moscoso (Quito, September 19, 1962) is an Ecuadorian playwright, a screenwriter, television director, actor and poet. Andino’s plays have won several awards, such as the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize (2006 and 2011), the National Prize of the Arts, and the Otto Castillo Prize for Experimental and Political Theater. As an actor, he has appeared in Sebastián Cordero’s film “Ratas, ratones, rateros” (1999) and Fernando Mieles’s film “Prometeo deportado” (2011). He has been a screenwriter and director of various TV shows. He is the creator and lead director of the telenovela “Sharon La Hechicera” (2018). Among his best known theatrical pieces is the play Medea llama por cobrar (2006), in which he recreates the drama of Ecuadorian families who had to emigrate during the economic crisis of 1999 through a plot with multiple parallels to Euripides’ Greek tragedy Medea. In 2014 he published his first book of poetry Moscas de plata.

Andrés Cadena

Andrés Cadena (Quito, 1983) is an award-winning short story writer. His debut collection of short stories “Fuerzas ficticias” (2012) was given the Pichincha Award by the province of Pichincha. His second book “Altanoche” (2016) won the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize. His most recent book, “Camino errado” (2020) won the Miguel Donoso Pareja Prize at the Guayaquil International Book Fair.

Gabriela Ponce

Gabriela Ponce Padilla (Quito, Ecuador, November 13, 1977) is an Ecuadorian writer, playwright, theatre director, and professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. She debuted with Antropofaguitas (2015), a short story collection that established her literary presence. Her play Lugar won the Joaquín Gallegos Lara National Literature Prize in 2018, and her novel Sanguínea (2019), which explores pain, eroticism, and love through metaphors of blood and menstruation, received the same prize for Best Novel in 2021. Sanguínea was translated into English as Blood Red (2022).

Gabriela Fernández Argüello

Gabriela Fernández Argüello is an Ecuadorian writer. She was born in Quito in 1971. Her collection of 11 short stories La noche de Eva was awarded the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize in 2004.

Cristina Burneo

María Cristina Burneo Salazar is an Ecuadorian writer, translator, journalist, professor and feminist. She was born in Quito in 1977. She earned a degree in literature from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, a master’s degree in literature from the Simon Bolivar Andean University, and a PhD in Latin American literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. Since 2014 she has worked as a postgraduate professor at the Simon Bolivar Andean University, specializing in Human Rights, Cultural Studies and Literature. Her book El sueño de Pierre Menard (2001) which questions the essential characteristics of translation and the criteria used to judge a translation, earned the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize.

Paúl Puma

Paúl Puma (Quito, 1972) is an Ecuadorian poet, playwright, and literary critic. He has a master’s in Latin American literature from the Simón Bolívar Andean University, Ecuador, and a PhD from the University of Alicante, Spain. Among his best known works are the poetry book Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala (winner of the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize, 2002), and the science fiction theatre piece Mickey Mouse a Gogo (winner of the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize, 2017). In 2017 Puma published El tesoro de los llanganatis (The Treasure of the Llanganates) with an English translation by Jonathan Simkins.

Roberto Sánchez Cazar

Roberto Sánchez Cazar (Quito, 1971) is a Ecuadorian artist celebrated for his extensive contributions to theater, both nationally and internationally. His work spans a variety of roles, from actor and director to educator. Notably, as a playwright, he has enriched the literary landscape with his unique voice and narrative style. His dramatic works have garnered him numerous accolades, including the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Literature Prize in 2003. His plays, which have been staged in Ecuador, Colombia, and beyond, delve into universal human themes with an intimate understanding of the complexities of the human condition. Published in various magazines and books across Ecuador, Spain, and the United States, his plays have also found their place in Ibero-American anthologies, showcasing the global resonance of his work. Sánchez Cazar’s enduring dedication to the literary arts continues to inspire, influence, and invigorate the world of contemporary theater.