[Group of young ladies] (1898) by Courret BrothersNational Library of Peru
We brought together writers who imagined a different country
Through poems, novels, articles, and magazines, they raised questions about education, citizenship, and female identity.
Their works are fragments of a broader legacy: that of women who turned writing into an act of freedom.
Pioneers and visionaries: Carolina Freyre de Jaimes
Between newspapers, poems, and plays, she found a place to express herself freely in the printing press. From Tacna, Lima, and Buenos Aires, she promoted magazines where she spoke about education and defended women's rights in the midst of times of war and change.
Juana Rosa de Amézaga
With works such as Reflexiones y máximas and her active poetic output in Peruvian magazines, she demonstrated a remarkable creative capacity. As a testament to her presence in literary circles, her autograph album, with dedications from friends and writers, survives.
Editors and spreaders of ideas: Lastenia Larriva de Llona
Editor and storyteller. She edited and contributed to magazines such as La Mujer Peruana and was the author of Cuentos, the first volume of modern short stories written by a woman in Peru.
Elvira García y García
Teacher and editor, author of La mujer peruana a través de los siglos (The Peruvian Woman Through the Centuries), presented at the Pan-American Conference of Women in 1929.
The work stands out for its chronological detail of the history of Peruvian women from the Inca Empire to the beginning of the 20th century, constituting one of the first references in the historiography of women in Peru.
Justa García Robledo & Manuela Antonia Márquez
Her contributions to the press show how many female voices found a space there for literary creation and the dissemination of their works.
Committed writers: María Nieves y Bustamante
A novelist who collaborated with newspapers from a very young age and was a member of the Arequipa Literary Club, a central space in the city's intellectual life.
Her novel, "Jorge, or The Son of the People," is the first in Peru to feature a mestizo protagonist. The work takes place in the city of Arequipa and denounces the conspiracies and conflicts driven by men, both military and political.
Angélica (1906) by Courret BrothersNational Library of Peru
Angélica Palma
From a young age, she sought to distance himself from the shadow of his father, the traditionalist Ricardo Palma, and developed her own style in novels, short stories, and chronicles, where she portrayed personalities, societies, and historical episodes, with a special focus on national themes.
Heirs of change: Leonor Espinoza de Menéndez
Arequipa novelist and pioneer of feminism in Peru. Her articles and short stories have been published in newspapers and magazines in Arequipa, Lima, La Paz, and New York.
Around 1910, she published "Zarela," a novel in which she criticized the place women occupied in early 20th-century society. She also raised the need to recognize their right to education, equality, and a more equitable participation in public life.
Mercedes Gallagher Ortiz: Essayist and intellectual
She actively participated in national and international conferences on education and women's rights. Through her publications and cultural work, she contributed to opening spaces for the recognition of women in public life and academia in Peru.
María Wiesse (1894-1964)
Writer, journalist, and cultural activist who explored poetry, children's stories, and music and film criticism. Her work intertwined artistic creation with cultural promotion and a constant reflection on the ideals of modernity.
[Group of young ladies] (1898) by Courret BrothersNational Library of Peru
The literary production of these authors enriches our understanding of Peruvian literary historiography by highlighting the ways in which women played a part in its construction.
Some did so by engaging with the agenda of the literate elite, while others challenged it and proposed paths that aimed to transform the situation of Peruvian women. The National Library of Peru, by safeguarding their works, incorporates these voices into the memory and
Bibliography:
García y García, E. (1925). The Peruvian Woman Through the Centuries: A Historical Series of Studies and Observations (Volume 2). Lima: Imprenta Americana.
Guardia, S. B. (2021). Peruvian Women. The Other Side of History (5th ed.). Lima: Author's edition.
Rosas Lauro, C. (Ed.). (2019). Gender and Women in the History of Peru: From the Home to the Public Space. Lima: Fondo Editorial PUCP.
https://bibliotecadigital.bnp.gob.pe/home
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