Posts - Ecuadorian Literature

Jorge Martillo

Jorge Martillo Monserrate is an award-winning poet and has been a columnist for various newspapers. He was born on May 2, 1957 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He has published the poetry books: Aviso a los navegantes (1987); Fragmentarium (1991); Confesiorarium (1996) and Vida póstuma (1997). He was awarded the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize (1991).

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.

Marcelo Báez

Marcelo Rafael Báez Meza (Guayaquil, April 24, 1969) is an Ecuadorian poet, novelist, translator, and film critic. He has earned a myriad of awards for his books. He won first place in the National Literature Contest of the House of Ecuadorian Culture on three occasions (1997, 2005 and 2013). His prize-winning novels include “Catador de arenas” (2010) and “Nunca más Amarilis” (2018). In 2012 his poetry book “El mismo mar de todas Las Habanas” won the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize. He is currently the dean of the Art, Design and Audiovisual Communication Department of the Superior Polytechnic School of the Littoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil.

Luis Borja Corral

Luis Borja Corral (Quito, 1981) is an attorney and writer. Recurring themes in his works include sexuality, death, marginalization and love. “Los funámbulos” (2012), his first novel, was published digitally. His second novel “Pequeños palacios en el pecho” (2014), won the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Literary Prize.

Santiago Peña Bossano

Santiago Peña Bossano is an Ecuadorian writer. He was born in Quito in 1990. His nonfiction book Estética de la indolencia (2015) won the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize. He received a masters in Literature from the Complutense University of Madrid. He is a professor of Hispanic Literature at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. He is the director of Cactus Pink, a publisher in Quito. He teaches creative writing at the Kafka Escuela de Escritores (Kafka School for Writers). His novel Mindotown was published in 2017.

Roberto Ramírez Paredes

Roberto Ramírez Paredes (Quito, 1982) is an Ecuadorian author and university professor. His literary journey began with his debut novel “La ruta de las imprentas” in 2015, followed by the critically acclaimed “No somos tu clase de gente” in 2018, which won the Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Literature Prize. His later works, “Evangelio del detective formidable” (2021) and “Tamia, el universo” (2022), further established him as a prominent figure in contemporary literature. Apart from his novels, Paredes has written for notable Ecuadorian newspapers, including El Comercio and Hoy, and has had his short stories published in various anthologies. Currently, he is sharing his literary expertise and knowledge as a professor at the School of Literature at the University of the Arts (UArtes)in Ecuador.

Carlos Vallejo

Carlos Vallejo Moncayo (born in 1973) is a writer from Quito, Ecuador. His poetry book La orilla transparente (2007) earned the prestigious Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Prize for Literature. In 2009 he was awarded the César Dávila Andrade National Literature Prize.

Natasha Salguero

Natasha Salguero Bravo (Quito, October 2, 1952) is a prominent Ecuadorian novelist, poet, journalist, and nonfiction writer. In 1989, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Aurelio Espinosa Pólit National Literature Prize for her novel Azulinaciones, which she submitted to the contest under a male pseudonym. That same year, she won the Gabriela Mistral Poetry Prize. Her work, known for exploring themes of feminism, social decay, and political repression, has been widely translated and featured in international anthologies, establishing her as a leading voice in 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.

Marcelo Lalama Basante

Marcelo Lalama Basante (Riobamba, 1942 – Quito, 2017) was an Ecuadorian novelist and a medical doctor. His debut novel “Los Nazarenos” won the Aurelio Espinoza Pólit Prize in the year 2000 and the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize in 2001. His other works include “Santamaría de los Volcanes” (awarded First Prize in Literature from the Central University of Ecuador in 2008) and “Hospital Real de la Misericordia” (2013).

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.