Bolivian literature

The constant political turmoil that Bolivia 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, Oscar Alfaro, and Franz Tamayo continue to be important.

Nearly half of Bolivia's population speaks indigenous languages such as Quechua, Aymara 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 Bolivian writers include:

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.^[1]

Juan de la Rosa (1909) by Nataniel Aguirre
Raza de Bronce (1919) by Alcides Arguedas
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
Tirinea (1969) by Jesus Urzagasti
Los fundadores del alba (1969) by Renato Prada Oropeza
En las tierras del Potosi (1911) by Jaime Mendoza
Yanakuna (1952) by Jesús Lara Lara
Socavones de angustia (1947) by Fernando Ramirez Velarde
Altiplano (1945) by Raul Botelho Gozalvez
La casa solariega (1916) by Armando Chirveches
La nina de sus ojos (1948) by Antonio Diaz Villamil
La sima fecunda (1933) by Augusto Guzman
Los Andes no creen en Dios (1973) by Adolfo Costa du Reis
Mallku (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 Jesús Lara Lara
Prisionero de guerra (1938) by Augusto Guzman
Mateo Montemayor (1969) by Fernando Diez de Medina

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