Children's Literature Authors - Ecuadorian Literature

Verónica Bonilla

Verónica Bonilla (Quito, June 11, 1962) is a prolific children’s book author, illustrator, and graphic designer from Ecuador. Her books have been published in Spanish, English and Chinese. She received China’s highest honor for a foreign writer, the 15th Special Book Award of China 2021, for her book Planatario en China, which was published in both Spanish and Chinese in 2019.

Segundo Moreta Morales

Segundo Moreta Morales (Otavalo, Ecuador) is an author, storyteller and intercultural educator. He is the author of the children’s book Juanita the Colorful Butterfly (2015), illustrated by Into Gualapuro and Luis Uksha. Told in Spanish, Kichwa, and English, it tells a charming tale of a butterfly who loses her color when a witch casts a spell on her; Juanita’s nature-dwelling friends help her to become colorful again.

Cecilia Velasco

Cecilia Velasco (Quito, May 1965) is an Ecuadorian author of children’s literature and was editor of the Central Bank’s magazine Difusión Cultural. She worked as a columnist for the Quito newspaper Hoy for nearly two decades. She teaches language and literature to children and adolescents. She was awarded the Norma-Fundalectura’s Latin American Prize for Children’s and Youth Literature in 2010. She currently lives in Guayaquil where she works as a teacher at The University of the Arts (UArtes).

Xavier Oquendo Troncoso

Xavier Oquendo Troncoso (Ambato, 1972) is an Ecuadorian poet, editorial writer, editor and professor. He has published over 11 titles, including poetry, short stories, children’s literature and anthologies of young writers from Ecuador. In 1993 he won the Pablo Palacio Short Story Award and the National Poetry Award. In 1999 the city of Ambato awarded him the Juan León Mera Award for all his literary work. His book “Salvados del naufragio” (2005) is a compilation of his poetry from 15 years of work up to the year in which it was published. His poems appeared in English translation in a book entitled “Poems That Love Me” (2016), translated by Gordon E. McNeer. Some of his poems have also been translated into Italian and Portuguese.

Leonor Bravo Velásquez

Leonor Bravo Velásquez (Quito, January 8, 1953) is an Ecuadorian children’s and young adult author. She has published 54 books, 44 of which are stories and novels that are available in various countries throughout Latin America and the United States, as well as major libraries specializing in children’s literature around the world. Her books “La biblioteca secreta de la Escondida” and “Dos cigüeñas, una bruja y un dragón,” are on the IBBY Honor List (International Board on Books for Young People).

Catalina Sojos

Catalina Sojos Mata (Cuenca, 1951) is a poet, writer, columnist, author of children’s literature, and a translator. In 1989, at the age of 37, she published her first poetry book: Hojas de poesía. She has been awarded the Gabriela Mistral National Poetry Prize, 1989, and the Jorge Carrera Andrade Prize, 1992. She is currently the director of the Manuel A. Landívar Museum in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Edna Iturralde

Edna Iturralde De Howitt (Quito, May 10, 1948) is Ecuador’s most important and prolific authors of children and young adult’s literature. She has written 62 books. She has won various prizes and nominations within and outside her country. Among the most important of these are the Dario Guevara Mavorga National Prize for Children’s Literature in Ecuador in 2001, the Skipping Stones Award in the United States in 2002 and 2005, and the Mention of Honor of the Municipality of Quito in 2003 and 2004. She has been nominated twice, in 2012 and 2013, for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA). Her work was selected by the SEP within the competition of the Mexican Ministry of Education in 2003 and 2005. In 2005, two of her books were nominated for the Ecuadorian Honor List of IBBY (International Board of Books for the Young). She was a 2014 International Latino Book Awards Finalist. She is the president of the Ecuadorian Academy of Children and Juvenile Literature, which is associated with the Latin American Academy of Children and Juvenile Literature. Several of her books has been translated into English.

Marcela Noriega

Marcela Noriega Rodríguez (Guayaquil, 1978) is an Ecuadorian writer, journalist and professor. She is the author of a novel, poetry books, and juvenile and children’s literature. At the age of 19, she won second place at the Biennial of Ecuadorian Poetry in Cuenca and in 2009 she won first place in the same contest with her book No hay que dar voces, published by the University of Cuenca, with support from the Ministry of Culture. She is the author of the novel Pedro Máximo y el círculo de tiza (2012).

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.

Alexis Zaldumbide

Alexis Zaldumbide Manosalvas (Quito, 1982), is an Ecuadorian author who has artfully bridged the realms of literature and music, crafting narratives that resonate deeply with themes of solitude, complexity, and the nuanced dance of human emotions. With “Habitaciones con música de fondo,” he captivated the literary world and secured the prestigious XLIII Aurelio Espinosa Pólit Prize in 2018, an accolade that underscored his adeptness at weaving intricate tales that explore the profound depths of isolation against a backdrop of a richly textured reality. Before this notable achievement, Zaldumbide had already demonstrated his versatile talent through children’s literature with “La puerta azul” and “Las valerosas hazañas de Pedro Mayo,” both published in 2013.