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Edition 43 (2002) Winner
Elena Poniatowska
エレナ・ポニアトフスカ
Elena Poniatowska
Aliases:
Hélène Elizabeth Louise Amélie Paula Dolores Poniatowska Amor / Hélene (出生時のフランス表記)
Pen Names:
Anel（Early-career diminutive used in some publications）,
Hélene（Published early work under her French birth name）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1932-05-19 （Paris, French Third Republic）
- Nationality
- Mexico, France
- Languages
- Spanish, French, English
- Residence History
- France (childhood) → Chimalistac, Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Journalist, Author
- Active Years
- 1953-
- Affiliations
- Excélsior (newspaper), Co-founder of La Jornada (newspaper), Co-founder of Fem (magazine), Associated with Siglo XXI (publisher), Involved in founding Cineteca Nacional (national film institute)
- Influenced By
- Pita Amor (aunt), Octavio Paz, Rosario Castellanos
- Influenced
- Silvia Molina, Rosa Nissán, A generation of Mexican writers (through her weekly writing workshop)
- Nominations
- Xavier Villaurrutia Award nomination (1970) — refused
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School in Vouvray (France) | — | — | — | 幼少期 | France |
| Liceo Franco-Mexicano | — | — | — | 1940年代（移住後） | Mexico |
| Eden Hall / Sacred Heart Convent | — | — | — | 1940年代後半 | Mexico |
School in Vouvray (France)
Period:
幼少期
Country:
France
Attended school in the Loire region during childhood
Liceo Franco-Mexicano
Period:
1940年代（移住後）
Country:
Mexico
Did not attend university; learned typing and began journalistic career
Eden Hall / Sacred Heart Convent
Period:
1940年代後半
Country:
Mexico
Secondary education in Mexico
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Miguel de Cervantes Prize | Lifetime body of work | — | Spanish Ministry of Culture / Cervantes Prize jury | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor | Lifetime achievements | — | Senate of Mexico | 受賞 |
| 2007 | Rómulo Gallegos Prize | El tren pasa primero | — | Rómulo Gallegos Prize jury | 受賞 |
| 2001 | Premio Alfaguara de Novela | La piel del cielo | — | Alfaguara (publisher) | 受賞 |
| 1978 | National Journalism Prize (Mexico) | Contributions to journalism | — | National Journalism authorities (Mexico) | 受賞（初の女性受賞者） |
| 1971 | Mazatlán Literature Prize | Hasta no verte, Jesús mío | — | Mazatlán Literature Prize committee | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Mazatlán Literature Prize (again) | Tinísima | — | Mazatlán Literature Prize committee | 受賞 |
| 2006 | International Women's Media Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award | Contributions to journalism and literature | — | International Women's Media Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2001 | José Fuentes Mares National Prize for Literature | — | — | José Fuentes Mares foundation | 受賞 |
Miguel de Cervantes Prize
2013
Work:
Lifetime body of work
Organization:
Spanish Ministry of Culture / Cervantes Prize jury
Result:
受賞
Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor
2023
Work:
Lifetime achievements
Organization:
Senate of Mexico
Result:
受賞
Rómulo Gallegos Prize
2007
Work:
El tren pasa primero
Organization:
Rómulo Gallegos Prize jury
Result:
受賞
Premio Alfaguara de Novela
2001
Work:
La piel del cielo
Organization:
Alfaguara (publisher)
Result:
受賞
National Journalism Prize (Mexico)
1978
Work:
Contributions to journalism
Organization:
National Journalism authorities (Mexico)
Result:
受賞（初の女性受賞者）
Mazatlán Literature Prize
1971
Work:
Hasta no verte, Jesús mío
Organization:
Mazatlán Literature Prize committee
Result:
受賞
Mazatlán Literature Prize (again)
1992
Work:
Tinísima
Organization:
Mazatlán Literature Prize committee
Result:
受賞
International Women's Media Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award
2006
Work:
Contributions to journalism and literature
Organization:
International Women's Media Foundation
Result:
受賞
José Fuentes Mares National Prize for Literature
2001
Organization:
José Fuentes Mares foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Prize
1 appearances
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Edition 15 (2007) Winner
Miguel de Cervantes Prize
1 appearances
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Edition 39 (2013) Winner
Works
Major Works
La noche de Tlatelolco (The Night of Tlatelolco)
1971 Testimonial literature / Non-fictionA nonfiction account compiling testimonies from witnesses and victims of the 1968 student protests and subsequent repression in Mexico City (Tlatelolco), challenging official narratives.
Political repressionVoices of the peopleTestimony and history
Translations
- Massacre in Mexico (English translation)
Hasta no verte, Jesús mío
1969 Novel (based on testimony / fictionalized biography)A novel depicting the life of the Mexican poor; based on long-term interviews with the woman who inspired the main character, regarded as a key testimonial work.
Women's experiencePovertyCollective memory
Nada, nadie. The Voices of the Earthquake
1988 Non-fiction (testimonies)Compilation of eyewitness accounts of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, documenting victims' experiences and government shortcomings.
DisasterEyewitness testimonyGovernment accountability
Tinísima
1991 Novel (fictionalized biography)A fictionalized biography reconstructing the life of photographer and activist Tina Modotti based on a decade of research.
Political activismArt and passionWomen's lives
La piel del cielo
2001 NovelA novel weaving descriptions of various regions of Mexico with inner workings of politics and government, exploring society and the individual.
PoliticsRegional identityIndividual and society
De noche vienes
1997 Short story collectionA collection of short stories; parts were adapted into a feature film.
Human relationshipsPsychology of darkness
Adaptations
- [Film] You Come by Night (film adaptation) / Arturo Ripstein (1997)
Leonora
2011 Historical novel (biographical elements)A historical novel about surrealist painter Leonora Carrington; winner of the Seix Barral Biblioteca Breve Prize.
Artist's lifeWomen's creativity
Bibliography
- 1954 – Lilus Kikus (short story collection)
- 1961 – Palabras cruzadas (chronicle)
- 1969 – Hasta no verte, Jesús mío (novel)
- 1971 – La noche de Tlatelolco (testimony / reportage)
- 1988 – Nada, nadie. Las voces del temblor (voices of the earthquake)
- 1991 – Tinísima (novel)
- 2001 – La piel del cielo (novel)
- 2006 – El tren pasa primero (novel)
- 2011 – Leonora (historical novel)
Adaptations
- De noche vienes → adapted into a feature film directed by Arturo Ripstein (1997)
Translations by Author
- Translated Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street into Spanish
Translations of Works
- La noche de Tlatelolco translated into English as Massacre in Mexico
- Tlapalería translated into English as The Heart of the Artichoke
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- A blend of testimonial literature and non-fictionColloquial, accessible, and unpretentious voiceJournalistic research underpinning narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- Voices of the disenfranchised (women, laborers, peasants)Political repression and collective memoryDepictions of urban and regional life
Legacy
Elena Poniatowska is a national literary figure in Mexico who, through testimonial literature and journalism, amplified the voices of the voiceless. She has received numerous literary awards and honorary degrees and influenced multiple generations of writers.
Museums
- Fundación Elena Poniatowska Amor A.C. Mexico City (exact location unspecified)
Academic Societies
- Groups of Mexican literary scholars (no single society specified)
Archives
- Archival materials held by various universities and publishers (details unspecified)
In Popular Culture
- Works such as La noche de Tlatelolco have influenced Mexico's historical consciousness and are cited in textbooks and documentaries
Quotes
-
The purpose of my writing was to change Mexico.
Source: Interview / statement to La Jornada (referring to the impact of the 1968 student movement)
Trivia
- Nicknamed "the Red Princess" for her left-wing views.
- In 1978 became the first woman to win Mexico's National Journalism Prize.
- Refused the Xavier Villaurrutia Award in 1970, citing the victims of Tlatelolco.