Colanzi book wins Ribera del Duero prize

A book by Liliana Colanzi has won the Ribera del Duero prize, honoring the best short stories in Latin America and Spain, for her book “Ustedes Brillan en lo Oscuro” (“You Glow in the Dark”).

The prize comes with an award of 25,000 euros.

Liliana Colanzi

Colanzi, assistant professor of Romance studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the author of two previous short story collections – “Vacaciones Permanentes” and “Nuestro Mundo Muerto.” Colanzi won Mexico’s Aura Estrada literary award in 2015 and was named among the best Latin American writers under 40 by the Hay Festival Cartagena in 2017.

“Ustedes Brillan en lo Oscuro” is a speculative book that tackles the issues of deep time and nuclear waste.

“Congratulations to Liliana for winning this prestigious prize,” said Derk Pereboom, senior associate dean for arts and humanities in A&S. “I’ve very much enjoyed and appreciated her stories, and it’s wonderful for her and for all of us at Cornell that she has been honored by this award.”

Colanzi edited “La Desobediencia, Antología de Ensayo Feminista” in 2019 and was the co-editor of the 2018 volume “Latin American Speculative Fiction” with Debra A. Castillo, Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow and the Emerson Hinchliff Professor of Hispanic Studies (A&S). Colanzi is also co-editing the volume “Horror and the Supernatural in Latin America,” to be published in 2022 by Hispanic Issues. She is the publisher of the independent literary press Dum Dum editora in Bolivia.

Colanzi spoke about her nominated book during the “Arts Unplugged: Science of the Very, Very Small” event on March 9; the event can be viewed on the eCornell website.

Kathy Hovis is a writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Media Contact

Gillian Smith