Gioconda Belli - Recognition

Recognition

In 1988, Belli's book La Mujer Habitada (The Inhabited Woman), a semi-autobiographical novel that raised gender issues for the first time in the Nicaraguan revolutionary narratives, brought her increased attention; this book has been published in several languages and was on the reading list at four universities in the United States. The novel follows two parallel stories: the indigenous resistance to the Spanish and modern insurgency in Central America with various points in common: women's emancipation, passion, and a commitment to liberation. In 2000, she published her autobiography, emphasizing her involvement in the revolutionary movement, El país bajo mi piel, published under the name The Country Under My Skin in the United States; it was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2003. Belli continues publishing and maintains that poetry is her most important work. Belli was the recipient of the Premio de Poesía Mariano Fiallos Gil in 1972 and of the prestigious Premio Casa de las Américas in 1978. In 2008 Belli received the Biblioteca Breve Award for her book El infinito en la palma de la mano (Infinity in the Palm of The Hand), allegory about Adam and Eve in paradise.

Belli's books have been published in numerous languages.

Her most recent work was submitted with the title "Cronicas de la Izquierda Erótica", but had to be changed to "El País de las Mujeres", since the previous title belonged to an award winning book by Ana María Rodas: Poemas de la Izquierda Erótica, published in 1973. The book tells the story of a world governed by women. In the novel she portraits a group of women that take power by means of a Political Party by the name of "Partido de la Izquierda Erotica". Curiously, this is the same name as a movement formed by women during the 80s, to which Belli belonged, which had been named as a tribute to Rodas´ work, a decade before and her cat's name is Nicanor.