Famous Ecuadorian Poets

Matilde Hidalgo was an Ecuadorian poet, physician, and activist. The first Ecuadorian woman to exercise suffrage, Hidalgo fought for women's rights throughout her life. Today, Matilde Hidalgo is recognized as one of the most prominent women in Ecuadorian history.

Jorge Enrique Adoum was an Ecuadorian writer, politician, poet, and diplomat. One of the most prominent exponents of Latin American poetry, Adoum was the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Casa de las Américas Prize. Jorge Enrique Adoum is best remembered for his novel Between Marx and a Naked Woman, which earned him Mexico's Xavier Villaurrutia Prize.

Francisco Tobar García was an Ecuadorian playwright, poet, short story writer, journalist, essayist, diplomat, professor, and literary critic. He is best remembered for his service as a diplomat for the Ecuadorian government in Venezuela, Haiti, and Spain. Francisco Tobar García was also a visiting professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and the National University of La Plata.

Jorge Carrera Andrade was an Ecuadorian author, poet, diplomat, and historian. He is widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most prominent Latin American poets. Most of his poems have been translated into English, French, German, and Italian. Apart from his literary career, Jorge Carrera Andrade also served as an ambassador to the UK, France, Belgium, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Joaquín Gallegos Lara was an Ecuadorian novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist. An exponent of social realism, Lara is best remembered for writing poems that discussed the social and political situations of his country. His poems were often published in literary magazines like Cosmos, Ilustración, Letras y Números, and Variedades.

Luz Elisa Borja Martinez was an Ecuadorian pianist, poet, sculptor, and painter. Regarded as one of the most illustrious poets of her generation, Borja achieved success within Ecuador and won several awards. Some of her works are displayed at a cultural organization called Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana.

Cristina Reyes is an Ecuadorian lawyer, politician, and poet. She previously served as a member of the Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly from 2007 to 2008, and is currently serving as a member of the National Assembly. As a poet, Cristina Reyes is best known for Travesía, a collection of 62 poems.

Karina Galvez is an Ecuadorian American poet and TV presenter. Many of her Spanish-language poems have been translated into several languages, including English, Italian, French, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, and Slovakian. Karina Galvez has also received several awards, including the prestigious Crystal Condor at the Ecuadorian Achievement Awards.

Rosa Borja de Ycaza was an Ecuadorian poet, essayist, writer, dramatist, novelist, sociologist, activist, and feminist. She is credited with founding a magazine called Nuevos Horizontes. An ardent advocate for women's rights, Rosa Borja de Ycaza is also credited with establishing the Women's Legion of Popular Culture with other popular feminists like Amarilis Fuentes.

Dolores Veintimilla was an Ecuadorian poet best remembered for her poem, Quejas. Veintimilla committed suicide at the age of 27 and some of her works were published posthumously. Although her works were never fully appreciated during her lifetime, Dolores Veintimilla achieved posthumous fame when her works reached the hands of subsequent generation of readers.

Adalberto Ortiz was an Ecuadorian poet, novelist, and diplomat. Best remembered for incorporating elements of Afro-American culture into his writing, Ortiz often narrated the struggles of the Afro-American people through his literary work. In 1995, Adalberto Ortiz was honored by the Ecuadorian government with the prestigious Eugenio Espejo National Prize for his overall achievements.