South America

Argentina

Alfonsina Storni, born on May 29, 1892, in Sala Capriasca, Switzerland, was a prominent Argentine poet and social activist. She moved to Buenos Aires in 1911 and balanced various jobs while writing poetry, achieving recognition in the 1920s.Her major works include La inquietud del rosal (1916), El dulce daño (1918), Irremediablemente (1919), Languidez (1920), Ocre (1925), El mundo de siete pozos (1934), and Mascarilla y trébol (1938). Storni tragically ended her life on October 25, 1938, in Mar del Plata. The song "Alfonsina y el mar" by Félix Luna tells her sad story, referencing her final poem, "Voy a dormir" ("I Am Going to Sleep"), before her death.

Elvira Orphée is an Argentine writer born in San Miguel de Tucumán and raised in both Tucumán and Buenos Aires. She often uses her childhood health issues to enrich her fictional worlds. Orphée's literary career began with her 1956 short story collection Dos veranos (Two Summers). She followed this with her 1961 novel, Uno, and then her acclaimed 1966 work, Aire tan dulce (When the Air is Soft), noted for its innovative language and exploration of love and hate. Her 1969 novel En el fondo (At the Bottom) won the first Municipal Prize for the Novel. In 1973, she published another short story collection, Su demonio preferido (His Preferred Devil), and in 1977, La última conquista de El Angel (El Angel's Last Conquest), a novel featuring a Buenos Aires secret police officer involved in political torture. Her later works include Las viejas fantasiosas (1981; The Old Ladies' Tales), La muerte y los desencuentros (1990; The Death and the Separation), Ciego de cielo (1990; Blind of Heaven), a collection of short stories centered on justice, and Basura y luna (1996; Garbage and Moon).

Liliana Heker (born 1943) is an Argentine writer. She wrote and edited left-wing literary journals during the Dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s, using veiled critiques to protest and engaging in vigorous debate with exiled writers such as Julio Cortázar (source: wiki)

Bolivia

Liliana Colanzi is a Bolivian writer known for her short stories and essays. Her works often explore horror and speculative fiction themes, and she has received several literary awards, including the Aura Estrada Prize in 2015. *

Chile

María Luisa Bombal was a Chilean writer who was born in 1910 and died in 1980. She is known for her works focusing on women's inner lives, particularly their struggles with identity and societal expectations. Her most well-known works include the novel La Amortajada (1938), about a woman reflecting on her life while on her deathbed, and the short story El árbol (The Tree). Bombal’s writing is often characterized by psychological depth and a focus on women's experiences in a male-dominated society.

Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) was a Chilean poet, educator, and diplomat who became the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945. Her poetry reflects themes of love, sorrow, and social justice, deeply inspired by her life experiences and connection to humanity. Beyond her literary contributions, she was a passionate advocate for education and a voice for the underprivileged in Latin America.

Uruguay

Juana de Ibarbourou (1892-1979), also known as Juana de América, was a Uruguayan poet. Her work often focused on love, nature, and the female experience. Her early poetry is known for its bold expression of female experience and emotion, challenging traditional roles for women. She also wrote about philosophical themes. She is considered an important figure in Latin American literature.

Brazil

Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian author known for her unique writing style that explores the human psyche. She wrote novels, short stories, and essays, making her a significant literary figure of the 20th century. Clarice Lispector's most famous works include the novel "The Hour of the Star" (A Hora da Estrela), which explores themes of identity and existentialism. Another notable work is "Near to the Wild Heart" (Perto do Coração Selvagem), her debut novel praised for its stream-of-consciousness style and profound psychological insight.

Júlia Lopes de Almeida (1862-1934) was a Brazilian writer, playwright, and journalist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, she was a prominent figure in Brazilian literature and one of the founders of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. However, she was not allowed to occupy a seat due to her gender. Her works span various genres, including novels, short stories, plays, and children's literature. Some of her notable works include "A Falência" (1901) and "Traços e Iluminuras" (1886).

Peru

Clorinda Matto de Turner was a Peruvian writer and journalist born in Cusco, Peru 1852. She is best known for her works "Aves sin nido" (Birds Without a Nest) and "Tradiciones cusqueñas" (Cusco Traditions), which highlight indigenous culture and social issues. Her writings often addressed the exploitation of indigenous peoples and women's rights.

Venezuela

Mirtha Rivero began her journalism career with La Región in Los Teques. She worked as an editor, reporter, and head of the economics section at El Diario de Caracas, later becoming editor-in-chief of Dinero magazine before moving to corporate communications. Rivero wrote urban chronicles for Estampas magazine and contributed to Contrabando and Emeequis magazines. In 2010, she published La rebelión de los náufragos, detailing the presidency and downfall of Carlos Andrés Pérez.

Teresa de la Parra (October 5, 1889 – April 23, 1936) was a Venezuelan novelist. Born Ana Teresa Parra Sanojo in Paris to the Venezuelan Ambassador in Berlin and Isabel Sanojo de Parra, she grew up in a privileged family, spending part of her childhood at her father's hacienda. After her father's death, she and her sisters studied at the Sacred Heart School in Spain. At 19, she returned to Caracas and later settled in Paris. There, she began researching a biography of Simón Bolívar but was diagnosed with tuberculosis and sought treatment in European sanatoriums. She formed a significant friendship with Cuban poet Lydia Cabrera. Teresa de la Parra died in Madrid, and in 1989, her remains were reburied with honors at the National Pantheon in Caracas.