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.
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]
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
References
^Las diez mejores novelas de la literatura boliviana (2004), by Carlos D. Mesa Gisbert