16 of the Best Ecuadorian Book Picks of 2023

This edition of Universo de Libros, the last of the year, we wanted to dedicate to the favorites of 2023. For that, we invited colleagues, editors, writers, but above all book lovers to each share with us what the literary work was that impressed you, moved you, or resonated in your head this year.

Universe of Books: the best sellers and the best of 2022

In this list you will find a selection of books written by Ecuadorian authors that our respondents chose very cautiously, making it clear that the decision was difficult, as they applaud the work of all the local writers who with a lot of enthusiasm, work, knowledge and even creativity They offered readers impressive works.

Bouquet, by Óscar Molina

The cultural journalist Jéssica Zambrano began her list—which she defined as a complex mission—with the novel Bouquet, by Quito’s Óscar Molina. “From affection I recognize Óscar’s work in cultural journalism and how waving his flag has led him to the discovery of his own writing, his place and his perspective. From there he tells us stories as complex as that of Amada, Purita, Lorena, the stories of migrants who manage his identity. In a context in which cultural journalists keep us in exile from the great media narratives, this book is a new possibility to insist on narrating culture, affects and the body from a political perspective; and it allows us to understand the complexity of the voices that work, from the community, survival.”

‘Bouquet’, by Óscar Molina.

Carnival Fever, by Yuliana Ortiz

The also co-founder of Indómita Media continues her selection with Fiebre de carnival, by Esmerald native Yuliana Ortiz, winner of the Joaquín Gallegos Lara 2023. “From another territory she tells us the story of Ainhoa, a girl who grows up and wants to understand the violence that surrounds her. , despite the fact that there is a community of women who take care of it, despite the fact that the carnival can be festive and violent, in addition to lasting all year round.

‘Carnival fever’, by Yuliana Ortiz.

Hostel, by María Fernanda Mejía

Zambrano ends his list with the latest book written by María Fernanda Mejía from Quito, called Albergue. “From non-fiction, he looks at Quito and the surroundings of Panecillo through 3D glasses without romanticism, but with the hope that only fits in the characters of his Hostel,” he says about this book, which includes photographs by Carlos Noriega and which this year He was recognized by the Municipality of Quito with the José Peralta Award.

‘Shelter’, by María Fernanda Mejía.

‘There is a pose of what it means to be intelligent that has alienated a good part of readers’: Mario Mendoza pays tribute to books in ‘Reading is resisting’

Mirror Evil and After the Storm, by Edwin Alcarás

The writer and editor Santiago Vizcaíno rescues from this 2023 an extraordinary novel by Quito’s Edwin Alcarás, Evil of Mirrors, considering it “an exercise in metafiction where writing navigates between madness, obsession and the limits of the narrative self.”

The second book that impressed Vizcaíno is one of short stories called After the Storm, also written by Alcarás. “It is a rugged set of stories that condense marginality, humor, baroque culture and autofiction.”

“Two works that reveal a narrative in constant reflection but that is also capable of laughing at itself,” he concludes.

Edwin Alcarás is the author of ‘Evil of Mirrors’.

‘The book that I would have liked to read when I was 18’ already exists, it was written by Daniela Faou from Guayaquil

Your next move, by Ernesto Torres Terán

Clara Medina, journalist and cultural manager, highlights among her various Ecuadorian readings this year Your next move, by Ernesto Torres Terán, who recently won the La Linares 2023 Short Novel Prize. “He is a prolific writer from Guayaquil, who despite its constancy in literature is little known to the public,” he considers.

“It is a work with an agile style, with fresh dialogues. I am glad that this author, a health doctor and also a professor, continues writing. I recommend reading this and other books by Torres Terán,” declares the La Revista columnist and creator of the MAAC Reading Club about the book, which last year won the Miguel Riofrío Prize.

Your next move, by Ernesto Torres Terán.

‘Group chat’, an Ecuadorian novel with a feeling of virtuality

Bruma, by Miguel Molina Díaz

The author José Hidalgo Pallares does not think much to say that his favorite work this year was Bruma, by Miguel Molina Díaz. “It is a novel that is read very quickly and that hooks the reader. It is funny, not only because it has touches of humor, but also because of the way in which it can make fun of the Ecuadorian literary world and the quarrels, the envies that exist in the literary world.”

“A very interesting part of this book are the interviews with established authors, because, without being real interviews, they are statements that the writers could have really made. This shows that the author did important research work to be able to write those interviews. The book in general is a tribute to literature from a slightly mocking perspective.”

Hidalgo mentions Tripamistic, by Rafael Lugo, as his favorite books he read this year; Siberia, by Daniela Alcívar; Addict, by Juan Fernando Andrade; and Cabaret Montaigne, by Diego Pérez. “An excellent book of essays on literature, wonderfully written,” he says of the latter.

‘Bruma’, by Miguel Molina.

Fuser Triangle, by Ernesto Carrión

Martín Riofrío, a Literature student at UArtes and writer of literary reviews, starts his list with the curious Triángulo Fúser, by Ernesto Carrión from Guayaquil, who in 2023 was chosen as resident poet of the University of Concepción (Chile) and recently won the XLII Prize Juan Alcaide Poetry International with Asia in his hair.

“It is the publication of a long, ambitious and titanic project in which Carrión shows us a new vision of Che, who arrived in Guayaquil in 1953 and was stranded in the city for a couple of weeks. It shows a young Ernesto Guevara, who had little or no interest in politics, and wanted, rather, to be a poet.

‘Fuser Triangle’, by Ernesto Carrión.

Pre-existing pathologies, by Mario Quintero

Another notable author for Riofrío is the Guayaquil native Mario Quintero, with his book of short stories Preexisting Pathologies. “They are short stories, very well crafted, that handle the evolution of the story and its characters very well. Each ending is, as Cortázar said with respect to the story, a knockout to the reader.”

‘Pre-existing pathologies’, by Mario Quintero.

Don’t forget about me (written by Big House students)

He ends his select list with the work Don’t forget me, an anthology made by students of the Literature major at Casa Grande University. “Joaquín Tamayo, María Daniela Astudillo, Paul Villón and others who appear with their stories are very interesting young authors. Without a doubt, we must take them into account and be aware of what they will publish in the future.”

‘Don’t forget about me’ (written by Big House students).

Terror in Ecuadorian literature is not always nourished by fiction, social reality is also a key component

The tremor of the orchards, by Maritza Cino

The writer Marcela Santos declares Maritza Cino from Guayaquil as her favorite author this year, for her latest book of poems: The Tremor of the Orchards. “It seems to me that it is a very sensitive poetry; It covers childhood and the places of childhood, physical and symbolic places. It is an exquisite command of language. I enjoyed it a lot”.

Maritza Cino is the author of ‘The Tremor of the Orchards’. Photo: Mishell Sánchez

The corner of the righteous, by Jorge Velasco Mackenzie

The early education educator also adds Jorge Velasco Mackenzie to her selection for the reissue of El Rincon de los Justos, published this year by Planeta in commemoration of its 40th anniversary. “It has been a discovery for me. He is a great narrator, very versatile; “He places us in historical moments, in everyday Guayaquil, in places in Europe,” says Saltos, who also embarked on reading several of the stories by the remembered Guayaquil author.

‘The corner of the just’, by Jorge Velasco Mackenzie.

40 years of ‘El Rincón de los just’ is celebrated with a commemorative edition of Planeta

Bouquet, by Óscar Molina

Yes, for the second time on this list, since it was also the favorite book of Santiago Toral, coordinator of the Literature major at the Casa Grande. Óscar Molina brings together in this book a selection of chronicles that he published over ten years in different media. “It is called Bouquet as if it were a bouquet of flowers, and all the chapters are named after flowers.”

“The chronicles have the LGBTIQ+ theme in common, and what I find interesting about their chronicles is that they are closely related to literature. Óscar always tries to involve literature; He has many references around this with journalism, and he does it very well. In his chronicle he touches on topics such as the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ecuador in 1997, also trans activism in Ecuador and trans activism in the United States. (YO)

2023-12-30 17:41:39
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