Clorinda Matto de Turner

Clorinda Matto de Turner (11 November 1852 in Cusco – 25 October 1909) was a Peruvian writer who lived during the early years of Latin American independence. Her own independence inspired women throughout the region as her writings sparked controversy in her own culture. She was forced into exile to Argentina.

Early life and education

She was born and raised in Cuzco, Peru.

In 2022, a park in Peru was named in her honor.

The National Library of Peru declared her works as part of the cultural patrimony of Peru, honored her with a revised edition of her works, and later on their website on the 172nd anniversary of her birth in 2024.

First editions of her works

Tradiciones y leyendas Perú: Tradiciones cuzqueñas. Arequipa: "La Bolsa", 1884. Tradiciones cuzqueñas. 2 vols. Lima: Torres Aguirre, 1886. Leyendas y recortes. Lima: "La Equitativa", 1893.

Fiction Aves sin nido. Lima: Imprenta del Universo de Carlos Prince, 1889. A first translation of the novel was published in London in 1904. Índole. Lima: Imprenta Bacigalupi, 1891. Herencia. Lima: Imprenta Bacigalupi, 1893.

Biography, epistolary prose, travel writing, and essays Bocetos al lápiz de americanos célebres. Lima: Peter Bacigalupi, 1889. Boreales, miniaturas y porcelanas. Buenos Aires: Juan A. Alsina, 1902. Cuatro conferencias sobre América del Sur. Buenos Aires: Juan A. Alsina, 1909. Viaje de recreo: España, Francia, Inglaterra, Italia, Suiza, Alemana. Valencia: F. Sempere, 1909.

Theatre Hima-Sumac: Drama en tres actos y en prosa. Lima: "La Equitativa", 1893. This was staged in 2022 for the first time in decades.