Juan Pablo Castro Rodas (Cuenca, 1971) is a renowned Ecuadorian novelist, short story writer, and poet. He has received several prestigious literary awards, including the Miguel Donoso Pareja Prize, the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize (twice), and the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize. His notable works encompass 7 novels, 2 short story collections, and a book of poems. In 2022, Juan Pablo Castro received the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Literature Prize for his novel “Mizuko: los Niños del Agua,” one of Ecuador’s most important literary awards. Castro’s talent lies in intertwining personal experiences with imaginative storytelling, crafting evocative prose and introspective narratives that have made him a celebrated figure in contemporary Ecuadorian literature.
Education
Juan Pablo Castro Rodas has a diverse educational background that has contributed to his development as a writer and scholar. He pursued his doctoral studies in Latin American Literature at the Universidad Andina “Simón Bolívar” in Quito, Ecuador, where he was a Ph.D. candidate during the academic period of 2012-2017. His doctoral thesis focused on the theme of “Cuerpo y mirada: antología del cuerpo disidente en la novela latinoamericana contemporánea” (Body and Gaze: Anthology of the Dissident Body in Contemporary Latin American Novel) under the guidance of his tutor, Santiago Cevallos.
In addition to his doctoral studies, Castro Rodas also undertook studies in screenwriting in Valencia, Spain.
He is currently a university professor at the Central University of Ecuador.
Awards and recognitions
- National Literature Contest Luis Félix López – First Place for “Crueles cuentos para niños viejos” (2015)
- Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize – Novel Category for “Los años perdidos” (2014)
- Honorable Mention – National Literature Contest Ángel Felicísimo Rojas for “Días de fuego” (2013)
- Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize – Novel Category for “La curiosa muerte de María del Río” (2016)
- Miguel Donoso Pareja Short Novel Prize for “La curiosa muerte de María del Río” (2016)
- Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Literature Prize for “Mizuko: los Niños del Agua” (2022)
Juan Pablo Castro interviewed
Works
Novels
- La estética de la gordura (2000)
- La noche japonesa (2010)
- Los años perdidos (2014)
- La curiosa muerte de Maria del Río (2016)
- El jardín de los amores caníbales (2019)
- Mizuko: los Niños del Agua (2022)
Stories
- Miss Frankenstein (2013)
- Crueles cuentos para niños viejos (2015)
Poetry
- El camino del gris (1996)