Posts - Ecuadorian Literature

Paulette Sánchez Aguilar

Paulette Sánchez Aguilar is an Ecuadorian writer, filmmaker, and multimedia artist whose work explores themes of resilience, self-discovery, and emotional depth. She made her literary debut with “Mujer Corazón”, a short story featured in the international anthology “Trazos del Alma”, published by the Colombian press Mítico. Inspired by her personal experiences living with a pacemaker, her writing delves into the complexities of vulnerability and strength. Beyond literature, Sánchez has built a diverse creative career in film, photography, and children’s books, earning recognition with awards like Best Short Film at the Intercollegiate Film Festival (FIC) in 2015. Her children’s books, “El Conejo Santi Aprende Buenos Modales” and “El Conejo Santi en la Mesa de Navidad”, showcase her ability to engage young audiences. With her work available in multiple countries, she continues to shape the Latin American literary landscape, using storytelling as a tool for connection and introspection.

An Imaginary Lady by Juan Bautista de Aguirre

Translated to English by Richard Gabela on March 5, 2025, from the original work Una Dama Imaginaria by Juan Bautista de Aguirre (1725–1786) of Daule, Ecuador. This poem was published posthumously in Poesías y obras oratorias (1943), but it was written during Aguirre’s lifetime.

To My Firstborn by Joaquín Gallegos Del Campo

Translated to English by Richard Gabela on March 4, 2025, from the original work A mi primogénito by Joaquín Gallegos Del Campo (1873–1910) of Guayaquil, Ecuador. This poem was published posthumously in Mis recuerdos: poesías líricas y cuentos en prosa (1912), a collection compiled by his widow, Emma Lara Calderón.

The Beauty Mark by Nicolás Augusto González

Translated to English by Richard Gabela on March 3, 2025, from the original work “El Lunar” by Nicolás Augusto González (1858–1918) of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Theory of the Flame by David Ledesma Vásquez

Translated to English by Richard Gabela on March 2, 2025, from the original work “Teoría de la Llama” by David Ledesma Vásquez (1934–1961) of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Luis Franco González

Luis Franco González (Santa Rosa, Santa Elena, Ecuador, 1988) is a poet, educator, and cultural promoter whose work has garnered national and international acclaim. He is the author of several poetry collections, including Sueños Inconstantes (2011), Jardines Inconexos (2014, Premio Nacional de Poesía Emergente Desembarco), and Fragmentos para armar una ciudad debajo de un asterisco (2016, Premio Internacional de Poesía “Gilberto Owen Estrada”). His poetry often explores themes of identity and transformation, and his contributions to Ecuador’s cultural scene include organizing literary festivals such as the Encuentro Nacional de Poesía Joven Marejada. Franco’s work has been featured in various anthologies and has received numerous accolades, solidifying his reputation as a leading voice in contemporary Hispanic literature.

Víctor Emilio Estrada

Víctor Emilio Estrada Sciacaluga (Guayaquil, Ecuador, May 22, 1891 – Guayaquil, Ecuador, February 21, 1954) was a prominent Ecuadorian banker, economist, military strategist, author, and politician. The son of former Ecuadorian President Emilio Estrada Carmona, Estrada played significant roles in shaping Ecuador’s financial system, notably as General Manager of La Previsora and a key advocate for the establishment of the Banco Central del Ecuador. He briefly served as Minister of Finance, proposing the ambitious yet controversial “Plan Estrada,” and held various public service roles, including President of the Cantonal Council of Guayaquil. Estrada also made notable literary contributions, publishing influential works on economic policy and military strategy, cementing his legacy as a transformative figure in Ecuador’s history.

Edgar Freire Rubio

Edgar Freire Rubio (Quito, June 3, 1947) is an Ecuadorian writer, historian, anthologist, and renowned bookseller. Born in the historic San Roque neighborhood, Freire dedicated over four decades to promoting Ecuadorian literature and preserving the cultural memory of Quito through his work as a bookseller and writer. His publications, including the multi-volume Quito: Tradiciones, Leyendas y Nostalgia and El derecho y el revés de la memoria, combine meticulous historical research with a passion for storytelling. A self-taught scholar and advocate for the literary arts, Freire has been celebrated as “the bookseller of the city” and is regarded as a vital figure in the preservation of Ecuador’s cultural heritage.

Diego Falconí Trávez

Diego Falconí Trávez (Quito, 1979) is an Ecuadorian lawyer, scholar, and writer specializing in human rights, literary theory, and comparative literature. He is an associate professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and a researcher at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, where he also directs the legal journal Iuris Dictio. His research explores gender studies, queer theory, Andean literature, and the intersections of law and literature. Falconí is best known for his book De las cenizas al texto: Literaturas andinas de las disidencias sexuales en el siglo XX, which won the prestigious Casa de las Américas Prize in 2016, and for his advocacy for decolonial and dissident identities in cultural and academic discourse.

Alejandro Andrade Coello

Alejandro Andrade Coello (Quito, 1875 – Quito, November 13, 1943) was an Ecuadorian writer, journalist, and educator renowned for his contributions to literature and pedagogy. A longtime professor of literature at the Colegio Nacional Mejía in Quito, he authored over 50 works, including Nociones de Literatura General (1914), El Ecuador Intelectual (1919), Rodó (1917), and Motivos Nacionales (1927), as well as critical essays and biographies of prominent figures. He was a member of international literary institutions, such as the Academia Nacional de Artes y Letras in Cuba, and a vocal advocate for individualized education. His legacy endures as a pioneer in Ecuadorian intellectual and cultural history.

Dario Demetrio Ruiz

Dario Demetrio Ruiz C. (1897–1980) was an Ecuadorian journalist, poet, and customs manager. In the 1930s, he founded two newspapers in Guayaquil: El Derecho and El Espectador. He also worked as a writer for other prominent newspapers, including El Universo and El Telégrafo. Ruiz Cárdenas published several of his poems in various publications throughout his life, but a collection of his works has never been compiled into a book.

Publio A. Falconí

Publio Antonio Falconí Pazmiño (Chone, January 21, 1906 – Guayaquil, July 1991) was an Ecuadorian poet, journalist, educator, and public servant. A member of the influential “Generación Literaria Argos,” he contributed significantly to the cultural and literary renaissance of Portoviejo in the 1920s. Known for his journalistic work with El Universo and Diario Manabita, where he wrote under the pseudonym “Alpas,” he also authored two unpublished poetry collections, El cántaro roto and La ruta azul. His lyrics for the pasillo “Al morir de las tardes” remain a hallmark of Ecuadorian music. Beyond literature, he served as a professor, rector, municipal leader, and advocate for retirees, earning national and international recognition for his contributions to culture, education, and public service.

The One and Only Love: A Short Story by Luis Aníbal Sánchez

Translated to English by Richard Gabela, completed on November 16, 2024, from the original work “El amor único” by Luis Aníbal Sánchez (1902–1922) of Ecuador. I have translated the title of the story as “The One and Only Love.” The story takes place in rural Ecuador, where social class distinctions between landowners (“masters”) and laborers were very pronounced in the early 20th century (the story is dated 1921). This post includes my English translation, followed by a glossary, a translator’s note, and the original Spanish version of the story.

Galo Ochoa

Galo Ochoa was an Ecuadorian poet and author. He wrote Rebeldía (1935), a socially conscious poetry collection described in its prologue by Joaquín Gallegos Lara—himself only 26 at the time—as the work of a “strikingly young” poet and a “student with concerns,” suggesting Ochoa was likely in his teens or early twenties. Later, he authored Geografía Económica (1946), a study of Ecuador’s economic geography.

Luis F. Madera

Luis Francisco Madera Negrete (Ibarra, Ecuador, February 25, 1883 – Quito, Ecuador, November 23, 1987) was a chronicler, poet, historian, and jurist who served as President of the Supreme Court of Ecuador in 1952. Known for his clarity of expression and dedication to documenting the history of his hometown, Ibarra, he authored works such as Impresiones (1919), a book of poetry, and Ibarra y el terremoto de 1868 (1918), a detailed account of the city’s recovery from the 1868 earthquake. His historical writings preserved key aspects of Ecuadorian culture and journalism, including Periódicos ibarreños (1927), which chronicled 47 local newspapers. A devoted chronicler, his legacy endures as a vital contributor to Ecuador’s cultural and historical record.