The constant political turmoil that

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

has experienced throughout its history has slowed the development of Bolivian literature. Many talents have had to emigrate or were silenced by the internal conflict. In recent years the literature of Bolivia has been in a process of growth, with the appearance of new writers. Older writers such as

Adela Zamudio Paz Juana Plácida Adela Rafaela Zamudio Rivero, or more popularly known as Adela Zamudio (1854–1928) was a Bolivian poet, feminist, and educator. She is considered the most famous Bolivian poet, and is credited as founding the country's femin ...

, Oscar Alfaro, and Franz Tamayo continue to be important. Nearly half of Bolivia's population speaks indigenous languages such as

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

or Guarani. The indigenous peoples of Bolivia have a rich oral tradition, as expressed in myths, legends, and stories; these stories generally have not been transcribed in writing.

Notable writers

Notable Bolivian writers include:

The Bolivian Novel

In 2004, a book-length survey of the best Bolivian novels was published. It attempted to identify the top 10 novels in Bolivian literature, winnowing them down from a longer list of 91 novels. The study was done by Carlos Diego de Mesa Gisbert. Below is the list of top 30 novels as identified in the book.''Las diez mejores novelas de la literatura boliviana'' (2004), by Carlos D. Mesa Gisbert # ''

Juan de la Rosa Juan Pedro de la Rosa (born August 7, 1986 in Tamaulipas, Mexico) is a Mexican professional boxer, and is the brother of welterweight boxer James de la Rosa. Personal life De la Rosa's father is Mexican and his mother is an African-American. Hi ...

'' (1909) by Nataniel Aguirre # '' Raza de Bronce'' (1919) by

Alcides Arguedas Alcides Arguedas Díaz (July 15, 1879 in La Paz – May 6, 1946 in Chulumani) was a Bolivian writer and historian. His literary work, which had a profound influence on the Bolivian social thought in the first half of the twentieth century, ...

# '' La Chaskanawi'' (1947) by Carlos Medinaceli # '' Los deshabitados'' (1959) by Marcelo Quiroga # '' Aluvión de fuego'' (1935) by Oscar Cerruto # '' Metal del diablo'' (1946) by Augusto Cespedes # '' Matias el apostol suplente'' (1971) by Julio de la Vega # '' Manchay Puytu'' (1977) by Nestor Taboada Teran # '' Felipe Delgado'' (1979) by Jaime Saenz # '' Tierras hechizadas'' (1932) by Adolfo Costa du Reis # '' La candidatura de Rojas'' (1909) by

Armando Chirveches Armando may refer to: * Armando (given name) * Armando (artist) (1929–2018), the name used by Dutch artist Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd * Armando (producer) Armando Gallop (sometimes written as Armando Gallup) (February 12, 1970 – December 17, ...

# '' Tirinea'' (1969) by Jesus Urzagasti # '' Los fundadores del alba'' (1969) by Renato Prada Oropeza # '' En las tierras del Potosi'' (1911) by Jaime Mendoza # ''

Yanakuna Yanakuna were originally individuals in the Inca Empire who left the ayllu system and worked full-time at a variety of tasks for the Inca, the ''quya'' (Inca queen), or the religious establishment. A few members of this serving class enjoyed high s ...

'' (1952) by

Jesús Lara Lara Jesús Lara Lara (January 1, 1898 - September 6, 1980) was a Bolivian writer, poet, novelist, linguist, indigenist, journalist and politician. He was a member of the Unión Nacional de Poetas y Escritores de Cochabamba. Born in Muela (now Villa Ri ...

# '' Socavones de angustia'' (1947) by Fernando Ramirez Velarde # ''

Altiplano The Altiplano (Spanish for "high plain"), Collao (Quechua and Aymara: Qullaw, meaning "place of the Qulla") or Andean Plateau, in west-central South America, is the most extensive high plateau on Earth outside Tibet. The plateau is located at the ...

'' (1945) by Raul Botelho Gozalvez # '' La casa solariega'' (1916) by

# '' La nina de sus ojos'' (1948) by

Antonio Diaz Villamil Antonio Diaz Villamil (1897-1948) was a Bolivian writer. He graduated from the Instituto Nacional Superior, and became a teacher. He rose to become director of the Colegio Bolivar, La Paz. A prolific writer, he wrote fiction and drama, and also te ...

# '' La sima fecunda'' (1933) by Augusto Guzman # ''

Los Andes no creen en Dios ''Los Andes no creen en Dios'' () is a 2007 Bolivian film directed by . It is a drama set in a mining town in the Andes in the 1920s. Synopsis The film is loosely based on the 1974 novel ''Los Andes no creen en Dios'' by Adolfo Costa du Rels and ...

'' (1973) by Adolfo Costa du Reis # ''

Mallku Mallku is a title roughly translating as "prince" or "leader" in the Aymara language of South America. They recognise an Apu Mallku as their "supreme leader" or "king". There is also an institution called the ''Council of Mallkus and Amautas'' whi ...

'' (1974) by Gaston Suarez # '' El signo escalonado'' (1975) by Nestor Taboada Teran # '' Historia de la Villa Imperial'' (1736) by Bartolome Arzans # '' Su excelencia y su ilustrisima'' (1889) by Santiago Vaca Guzman # '' Paginas barbaras'' (1914) by Jaime Mendoza # '' Sangre de mestizos'' (1936) by Augusto Cespedes # '' Repete'' (1937) by

# '' Prisionero de guerra'' (1938) by Augusto Guzman # '' Mateo Montemayor'' (1969) by Fernando Diez de Medina

Bibliography

*Elizabeth Monasterios: "Chapter 42 La Paz- Chukiyawu Marka" in: ''Literary Cultures of Latin America. A comparative History'', ed. by Mario J. Valdés and Djelal Kadir, Volume II: ''Institutional Modes and Cultural Modalities'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 474–497

References

External links

Latin American literature by country South American literature Spanish-language literature {{lit-country-stub