Born: 1948 (Managua, Nicaragua)
Biography:
Gioconda Belli, born on December 9, 1948, is a Nicaraguan-born novelist and poet who has made significant contributions to Nicaraguan literature. Growing up in a wealthy family in Managua, Belli was fortunate to receive a privileged upbringing. Her father, Humberto Belli Zapata, and her brother, Humberto Belli, formed an influential part of her early life. Belli furthered her education by attending boarding school in Spain. She graduated from the Royal School of Santa Isabel in Madrid before pursuing advertising and journalism at the Charles Morris Price School of Advertising and Journalism in Philadelphia.
At the age of 19, upon her return to Nicaragua, Belli married and became a mother to her first daughter. Her career initially began at Pepsi-Cola, where she worked as a liaison to the company’s advertising agency, Publisa. Her exceptional skill in this role led to her being hired as an account executive by Publisa. It was during this time that Belli had an encounter that would change the course of her life.
Through a colleague at the advertising agency, Belli was introduced to Camilo Ortega, who invited her to join the Sandinistas. Intrigued by the cause, Belli accepted the invitation and in 1970, she joined the fight against the Somoza dictatorship. She was officially sworn in by Leana Ortega, Camilo Ortega’s wife, solidifying her commitment to the movement. However, her involvement with the Sandinistas resulted in her being forced into exile in Mexico in 1975.
In 1979, just before the Sandinista victory, Belli returned to Nicaragua. Her dedication to the cause led her to become the FSLN’s international press liaison in 1982 and the director of State Communications in 1984. During this time, she formed a deep connection with Charles Castaldi, an American NPR journalist, whom she married in 1987. Since 1990, Belli has split her time between Managua and Los Angeles.
Despite her previous affiliation with the FSLN, Belli eventually distanced herself from the party and became a prominent critic of the Ortega government. This dissent led her to live in exile in Madrid, where she continues to reside to this day.
Throughout her career, Belli has demonstrated her literary prowess, with poetry being her primary focus. In 1970, she published her first poems in the literary supplement of Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa. Two years later, she received the prestigious Premio de Poesía Mariano Fiallos Gil award from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua.
Belli gained widespread recognition in 1988 with her novel La Mujer Habitada (The Inhabited Woman). This semi-autobiographical work introduced gender issues in Nicaraguan revolutionary narratives for the first time and was published in multiple languages. It even found a place on the reading lists of four American universities. The novel weaves together two parallel stories, exploring indigenous resistance to the Spanish and modern insurgency in Central America, with a core focus on women’s emancipation, passion, and commitment to liberation.
In 2000, Belli published her autobiography, El país bajo mi piel (The Country Under My Skin), which emphasized her involvement in the revolutionary movement. It was subsequently published in the United States as The Country Under My Skin: A Memoir of Love and War and became a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2003.
Throughout her career, Belli’s literary contributions have garnered numerous accolades. In 1978, she was honored with the prestigious Premio Casa de las Américas. In 2008, she received the Premio Biblioteca Breve for her book El infinito.
With her compelling storytelling and dedication to raising awareness about social issues, Gioconda Belli remains an influential figure in both Nicaraguan and international literature.
Awards:
– Premio de Poesía Mariano Fiallos Gil (1972)
– Premio Casa de las Américas (1978)
– Premio Biblioteca Breve (2008)