Paciencia Perdida — An Anthology of Peruvian Fiction

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Katya Adaui (Lima, 1977) Katya holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing from the Universidad de Tres de Febrero. She has published several collections of short stories including Un accidente llamado familia (2007), Aquí hay icebergs (2017) and Geografía de la oscuridad (2021) and the novels Nunca sabré lo que entiendo (2014) and Quienes somos ahora (2022). Her works have been translated into English and Italian. She currently lives in Buenos Aires where she directs creative writing workshops. I should also add that she’s the author of my niece’s favorite children’s book, Muy Muy en Bora Bora (2019).
Instagram: @katyaadaui
Twitter: @kadaui

Fernando Ampuero (Lima, 1949) Fernando is a journalist and prolific author of over thirty books including the novels Caramelo verde (1992), Puta linda (2006), Hasta que me orinen los perros (2008) and El peruano imperfecto (2011), numerous short story anthologies such as Bicho raro (1996), Mujeres difíciles, hombres benditos (2005) and Lobos solitarios y otros cuentos (2018), and the poetry collections Voces de luna llena (1998) and 40 poemas (2010). A graduate of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), his career has seen him take leadership roles in the country’s most prestigious news outlets like the magazine Caretas, the leading daily El Comercio and its cultural supplement, El Dominical. When he’s not writing, you can catch Fernando walking or jogging along the malecón in Miraflores.
Instagram: @Fernando.ampuerodelbosque

Francisco Ángeles (Lima, 1977) Francisco holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and currently works at Yale University’s MacMillan Center – Council on Latin American Studies. He’s the author of four novels La línea en medio del cielo (2008); Austin, Texas 1979 (2014); Plagio (2016) and Adiós a la revolución (2019). In 2015, he co-authored with Fernando Ampuero and artist Rocío Urtecho (aka Jugo Gástrico) the short story “double feature,” Hollywood en doble función. For more than fifteen years, Francisco was co-editor of the literary magazine El Hablador. If you follow him on Instagram, you’ll soon realize that he’s something of a budding sommelier.
Instagram: @franciscoangelesss
https://www.elhablador.com/

Jorge Eduardo Benavides (Arequipa, 1964) Jorge majored in Law and Political Science at the Universidad Garcilaso de la Vega. He’s been living in Spain since 1991, first in Tenerife where he founded and directed the literary workshop Entrelíneas, and then in Madrid, his current city of residence. He has published two collections of short stories, Cuentario y otros relatos (1989) and La noche de Morgana (2005), as well as several novels including Los años inútiles (2002), El año que rompí contigo (2003), Un millón de soles (2008) and Un asunto sentimental (2012). His novel La paz de los vencidos (2009) won him the XII Premio de Novela Corta Julio Ramón Ribeyro, while his 2014 novel, El enigma del convento, was awarded the prestigious Torrente Ballester prize. He was a Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2011, making him a die-hard Packer fan for life. His latest novel, Volver a Shangri-La, was published in 2022 by Alianza Editorial.
Instagram: jorgeeduardo_benavides
https://jorgeeduardobenavides.com/

Miluska Benavides (Lima, 1986) Miluska was featured in Granta Magazine’s “Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists” special issue in 2021. She’s the author of La caza espiritual (2015) and a forthcoming novel titled Hechos. Miluska is also an accomplished literary translator and among the works she’s published, I’d like to highlight her new translation of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s A Season in Hell (2012). She received her PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a truly interdisciplinary dissertation analyzing indigeneity through literary works and visual art from Mexico and Peru. I use her chapter on Martín Chambi’s Andean photographs in my Cultural Studies classes all the time!
Instagram: @mkbenavides

María José Caro (Lima, 1985) María José earned her master’s degree in Communications from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She’s the author of the short story collections La primaria (2012) and ¿Qué tengo de malo? (2017) and the novel Perro de ojos negros (2016). The Hay Festival – Bogotá39 selected her as one the best Latin American fiction writers under the age of 39 in 2017. María José is also an avid tennis player and has been known to show no mercy on her opponents on Lima’s clay courts.
Instagram: @majoclv

Luis Hernán Castañeda (Lima, 1982) Luis Hernán (Ludo) is a professor of Luso-Hispanic Studies at Middlebury College. He’s a prolific author and among his most notable works are Casa de Islandia (2004), Hotel Europa (2005), La noche americana (2011), La fiesta del humo (2016), Mi madre soñaba en francés (2018) and El imperio de las mareas (2020). In 2021 he published Un escritor rural, an introspective travelogue of sorts with ruminations on literary and cultural icons that run the gamut of figures such as José María Arguedas and Pedro Almódovar to Jean-Claude Van Damme. After spending several years in Colorado and Vermont, Ludo has become a true connoisseur of craft beers.
Instagram: @ludocastaneda

María Luisa del Río (Lima, 1968) María Luisa studied Audiovisual Communications at the Instituto Peruano de Publicidad. She has published collections of flash fiction including No mires atrás (2006), Parece una agonía (2012) and the nonfiction works Cusco Bizarro (2008), El Perú arde (2011), Hey, soy gay (2014) and La despensa del mundo (2018). Her cookbook Chia was awarded the Gourmand Book Award in 2015. Her latest book Máncora Blues (2022) is an homage to the northern beachtown where María Luisa spent a lot of time in the 80s and 90s. She’s also a well-known DJ, spinning eclectic sets all over the Barranco neighborhood of Lima.
Instagram: @djluisi

Oswaldo Estrada (Santa Ana, California, 1976) He is the author of a children’s book, El secreto de los trenes (2018), and of three collections of short stories, Luces de emergencia (2019), Las locas ilusiones y otros relatos de migra-ción (2020), and Las guerras perdidas (2021). He has edited the volume Incurables. Relatos de dolencias y males (2020) with twenty Latin American authors who live in the US. In 2020, he won two International Latino Book Awards, as well as the International Latino and Latin American Book Fair Prize from Tufts University. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Doris Betts Fiction Prize. His book Las guerras perdidas won a Gold Medal (First Place) for Best Collection of Short Stories in Spanish at the International Latino Book Awards 2022. He is a professor of Latin American Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A little-known fact about Oswaldo is that he’s quite a singer; he can be found belting out boleros and valses criollos at post-conference after parties with or without the help of a few pisco sours and/or chilcanos.
Instagram: @estrada.camino

Yeniva Fernández (Lima, 1969) Yeniva graduated from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos with a degree in Library Science. She is most known for her fantastical storytelling in books such as Trampas para incautos (2009), Siete paseos por la niebla (2015) and Los ríos de Marte (2019). Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies including 17 fantásticos cuentos peruanos (2008), Disidentes (2011), El fin de algo: antología del nuevo cuento peruano (2015) and Arriba las manos: muestra de relato policial peruano (2016). A serious film buff, Yeniva has also been a regular contributor to the Peruvian magazine, Godard! Revista de cine.

Hemil García Linares (Lima, 1971) Hemil holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s in Spanish and Latin American Literature from George Mason University (GMU). He’s been a Spanish instructor at GMU, Georgetown University and George Washington University. Hemil’s publications include Cuentos del norte, historias del sur (2009), Sesenta días para abandonar el país (2011), Aquiles en los Andes (2015) and El azul del Mediterráneo, un viaje ancestral (2019). He has also edited numerous anthologies featuring a host of prominent contemporary Spanish and Latin American authors. His most recent collections are tributes to Gothic and horror writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King. A tireless promoter of Spanish-language literature in the Washington DC metropolitan area, he founded the Virginia International Hispanic Book Festival in 2017. A consummate cratedigger, Hemil’s vinyl collection is the envy of many of us!
Instagram: @hemilgarcialinares

Bethsabé Huamán Andía (Lima, 1977) Bethsabé holds a PhD from Tulane University, an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University and a master’s in Gender Studies from El Colegio de México, A.C. She’s the author of the following short story collections Sábado pm (2003), Memento mori (2009) and La oscuridad del sombrero (2017). Her works have been featured in several Peruvian anthologies including Disidentes (2011), 69. Antología de microrelatos eróticos femeninos (2016) and Sexo al cubo (2017). Bethsabé is a professor of International Languages and Literature at St. Catherine University in Minnesota. She’s a committed environmentalist and advocate for animal rights.
Instagram: @pecesitavoladora
bethsabeh.wixsite.com/bechita5

Alexis Iparraguirre (Lima, 1974) Alexis received his PhD in Latin American, Iberian and Latino Cultures from The City University of New York and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He has published two books of short fiction, El inventario de las naves (2005), which won the Premio Nacional de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, and El fuego de las multitudes (2016). Along with Francisco Joaquín Marro, he co-edited the science fiction collection Esta realidad no existe. Antología de ciencia ficción por escritores del Perú (2021). His stories have appeared in several important collections including El cuento peruano 2001-2010 (2013), Estados Hispanos de América. Narrativa latinaoamericana made in USA (2016), Incurables. Relatos de dolencias y males (2020) and Cuentos peruanos de la pandemia (2021). In 2013, he was one of the 35 authors of “Latinoamérica viva,” a selection of young writers of continental appeal and critical acclaim at the FIL in Guadalajara. Alexis is not only a voracious reader, but also a sci-fi and superhero TV shows and film enthusiast. By the time it takes an average person to binge watch three or four episodes of a Star Wars-related series, he will have watched the entire season and expounded on a myriad of theories concerning possible future plot twists on his social media feed.
Instagram: @alexisiparraguirre

Pedro Novoa (Huacho, 1974 – 2021) At the age of 18, Pedro joined Peru’s Navy (la Marina de Guerra del Perú), but left after five years to begin his university studies at the Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal. After graduating he embarked on a fruitful literary career, publishing several highly acclaimed novels, short story collections, plays and poetry volumes. His book Seis metros de soga won the Premio Horacio Zeballos de Novela Corta in 2010 and the following year, his novel Maestra vida was awarded the Premio Internacional de Novela Corta Mario Vargas Llosa. In 2016, his story “Inmersión” won first prize in the XXVII Edición del Concurso de las 1000 Palabras, organized by the magazine Caretas. This piece was subsequently translated into fourteen languages. My good friend Pedro’s life was cut short in 2021 after an intense battle with cancer, but his diverse and unique stories exploring the human condition will live on forever.
Instagram: @pedrofelixnovoacastillo

Karina Pacheco (Cusco, 1969) Karina holds a PhD in Anthropology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She’s a prolific author of six novels, several short story anthologies and numerous articles focusing heavily on ethnic identity, racism and cultural studies. Her 2008 novel No olvides nuestros nombres was awarded the Premio Novela del Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Cusco. A few years later, her novel Cabeza y orquídeas (2012) won the Premio Nacional de Novela Federico Villarreal. She currently manages Ceques Editores, a publishing house based in Cusco which specializes in Andean literature, history and anthropology. Her most recent novel, El año del viento, was published in 2021. I should also mention that Karina’s photos of the natural beauty of Peru’s highland country-side are works of art.
Instagram: @karinapachecom

Romina Paredes (Lima, 1987) Romina earned a BA in Translation and Interpretation from the Universidad Ricardo Palma and a master’s in Audiovisual Translation from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. She’s the author of two short story collections Famulus (2020) and Monstruos (2022). Her short story “Kintsugi” was selected in an anthology of young Peruvian short story writers (Estruendomudo, 2021). A lifelong swimmer, Romina competed on Peru’s national team for a number of years. As an admirer of the riot grrrl movement, Romina does not seek validation from the literary police. She loves dogs, beer, heavy metal, and walking barefoot. Her guilty pleasures include watching b-movies, the slap fighting championship and cute animal videos on social media.
Instagram: @rominaescribe

Richard Parra (Lima, 1976) Richard has a PhD in Latin American Literature from New York University. He won the Premio Nacional de Literatura in 2021, Peru’s most respected literary prize, for his exceptional short stories in Resina (2019). He’s the author of the novellas Necrofucker and La pasión de Enrique Lynch (both published in 2014), the novel Los niños Muertos (2015) and the collection of shorter fiction pieces, Contemplación del abismo (originally released in 2010 and a 2nd edition which came out in 2018). His critical study, La tiranía del Inca. El Inca Garcilaso y la escritura política en el Perú (1568 – 1617), won the Premio Copé in 2014. Richard’s encyclopedic knowledge of all things heavy metal is astounding. He’s equally insightful discussing stylistic choices in the works of Juan Rulfo or José María Arguedas as he is waxing poetic on the influence Danish vocalist King Diamond has had on American bands like Metallica and Slayer.
Instagram: @richardparra666
Twitter: @RichardParra666

Juan Manuel Robles (Lima, 1978) Juan Manuel earned his MFA from New York University. In 2017, he was selected by the Hay Festival – Bogotá39 as one the best Latin American fiction writers under the age of 39. He is the author of the creative nonfiction book Lima Freak (2007), the novel Nuevos juguetes de la guerra fría (2015) and the short story collection No somos cazafantasmas (2018). As a journalist and editor, Juan Manuel’s work has appeared in multiple publications including VICE, Etiqueta Negra, Buen Salvaje, Letras Libres, El Comercio and many others. Nuevos juguetes de la guerra fría is a master class in pop culture referencing—thanks to Juan Manuel I managed to max out a few credit cards while buying original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe action figures.
Instagram: @palidofuego

Gustavo Rodríguez (Lima, 1968) Gustavo is the author of many novels including La furia de Aquiles (2001), La semana tiene siete mujeres (2010), Cocinero en su tinta (2012), República de La Papaya (2016), Madrugada (2018) and others. He has also released numerous nonfiction works, children’s and YA books and the collection of stories Trece mentiras cortas (2006). In 2021, he published Machista con hijas (2021), which was based on his podcast of the same name and details his upbringing and the challenges of being a father in today’s world. His most recent novel, Treinta kilómetros a la medianoche (2022) has garnered rave reviews and has been listed as a contender for best novel of the year by several respected Peruvian critics. I’m convinced Gustavo doesn’t sleep since on top of publishing stellar books almost every year, he also manages to run the cooperative media enterprise Jugo de Caigua.
Instagram: @gustavoescribe

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Claudia Salazar (Lima, 1976) Claudia completed her undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and received her PhD in Latin American Literature from New York University. She is the editor of two anthologies, Voces para Lilith (2011) and Escribir en Nueva York. Antología de narradores hispanoamericanos (2014). In 2013, she published her first novel, La sangre de la aurora, which was awarded the celebrated Premio de las Américas in 2014. Claudia was also the founder and director of PERUFEST, the first Peruvian film festival in New York. She is currently a professor at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. Like many Peruvians, Claudia is fiercely proud of her country’s cuisine. I have shared numerous meals with her at conferences in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin to name a few, and we always seem to end up at Peruvian restaurants.
Instagram: @clausalazarjimenez
https://claudiasalazarjimenez.wordpress.com/

Gunter Silva (La Merced, 1977) Gunter studied Law and Political science at the Universidad Católica de Santa María in Arequipa and holds a master’s in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Westminster. He has published the book of short stories Crónicas de Londres (2012) and the novel Pasos pesados (2016), which was translated into Danish under a grant from the Danish Art Foundation. Gunter’s works have appeared in diverse publications including Latin American Literature Today, Suburbano, Letralia and Words Without Borders. A tireless promoter of contemporary Peruvian literature, Gunter created the collaborative online portal Stories from Peru where many of the authors in this anthology were translated into English for the first time. I have taught Pasos pesados on several occasions and my students absolutely love it—I’ve even had students create playlists with 90s tracks referenced in the novel. He currently lives in London.
Twitter: @guntersilva9
https://storiesfromperu.com

Jennifer Thorndike (Lima, 1983) Jennifer is the author of two novels (Ella) (2012) and Esa Muerte existe (2016), both of which have received much critical praise. She has also published two short story collections, Cromosoma Z (2007) and Antifaces (2015), and appeared in numerous anthologies in both Peru and other Latin American countries. Her short fiction has been translated into English, Portuguese and Italian. The 2016 FIL in Guadalajara selected her as one of the twenty most oustanding Latin American writers born in the 80s. She currently works at the Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of New Haven. A confessed cat lover, Jennifer’s feline photography is next level.
Instagram: @jen_thorndike

Diego Trelles Paz (Lima, 1977) Diego earned his PhD in Hispanic Literature from the University of Texas at Austin. His narrative works include Hudson el redentor (2001), El círculo de los escritores asesinos (2005), Adormecer a los felices (2015) and La procesión infinita (2017). His 2012 novel, Bioy, received the Premio Francisco Casavella and was a finalist for the Premio Rómulo Gallegos in 2013. Diego also edited one of the last decade’s most acclaimed anthologies of contemporary Latin American literature, El futuro no es nuestro (2008). Legend has it that whenever Peru’s national side scores a goal, Diego’s family and friends back home can hear his shouting despite the fact that he lives in Paris.
Instagram: @diegoganancia

Gimena Vartu (Lima, 1986) Gimena Vartu is a pseudonym for María Inés Vargas Tunque, an author, poet and playwright. She has published a book of poems Cura de sueño (2012) and the short story collection Fábula de los cuerpos calientes (2019). Her play Cachorro está perdido (2016) was awarded the Concurso Nacional Nueva Dramaturgia Peruana courtesy of Peru’s Ministry of Culture. Gimena currently works as an editor at the Fondo Editorial de la Escuela Nacional Superior de Arte Dramático (ENSAD). During her tenure at ENSAD, there’s been a veritable boom in the publication of dramatic works in Peru.
Instagram: @gimenavartu

Nataly Villena (Cusco, 1975) Nataly holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from La Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. She’s the author of the coming-of-age novel Azul (2005), winner of the Premio Regional de Novela del Cusco, and the collection of short fiction Nosotros que vamos ligeros (2018). Nataly has also published a well-received work of literary criticism, Mario Vargas Llosa, intellectuel cosmopolite (2008). Her work as an editor has focused on improving the visibility of women authors as is evident in the anthology Como si no bastase ya ser. 15 narradoras peruanas (2017) and the online magazine Las Críticas. Although she has lived in France for the last twenty years, Nataly remains an important presence on the cultural scene of her native Cusco.
Instagram: @papillontoutcourt
https://lascriticas.com/

Julia Wong (Chepén, 1965) Julia is one of the most prominent voices in Tusán (Chinese Peruvian) literature. She has published more than a dozen poetry books including 2021’s 18 poemas de fake love para Keanu Reeves and several short story collections and novels such as Mongolia (2015) and Aquello que perdimos en la arena (2019). A true citizen of the world, Julia has lived in California, Macau, Freiburg, Buenos Aires and Guadalajara besides living in different Peruvian cities. She currently resides in Lisbon.
Instagram: @juwk109

Carlos Yushimito (Lima, 1977) In 2010, Carlos was featured in Granta Magazine’s inaugural “Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists” special issue. He holds a PhD in Hispanic Studies from Brown University. Some of his most representative publications include El mago (2004), Las islas (2006), Lecciones para un niño que llega tarde (2011), Los bosques tienen sus propias puertas (2014) and Rizoma (2015). His works have been translated into English, French, Italian and Portuguese. He is currently a professor at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Viña del Mar, Chile.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
Gabriel T. Saxton-Ruiz is a Professor of Latin American Literature & Culture and Coordinator of the First-Year Experience Program at the University of the Incarnate Word. Before coming to UIW, he was Associate Professor of Spanish & Latin American Studies and Vice Chair of Humanistic Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. He received his BA in Spanish and French from Virginia Tech, and his MA and PhD in Modern Foreign Languages from the University of Tennessee. His research interests include twentieth and twenty-first century Latin American literature, popular culture studies, cultural gastronomy and representations of violence in various types of cultural productions. He has published Forasteros en tierra extraña (2012), a study on contemporary Peruvian literature and political violence, and co-edited the monograph La narrativa de Jorge Eduardo Benavides: Textos críticos (2018). Saxton-Ruiz is also the Editor-in-Chief of Stories from Peru, an online magazine of Peruvian literature in translation into English. His scholarly articles and translations have appeared in diverse publications in the UK, USA, Cuba, and Peru including Words Without Borders, Revista Hiedra, Palabras Errantes, Hispanófila, Latin American Literature Today and Revista Conjunto-Casa de las Américas. He spends more time than he should curating eclectic playlists featuring bands from the Elephant 6 collective, Peruvian psychedelic chicha, ’90s shoegaze, yacht rock and Memphis soul.
Instagram: @saxtonruiz