Carmen Boullosa a Mario Vargas Llosa Biennial Prize Finalist

Macaulay Distinguished Lecturer is Recognized for Her Brilliant Novel el Libro de Eva

Macaulay Honors College Distinguished Professor Carmen Boullosa, author of el Libro de Eva, has earned top honors as one of just five authors shortlisted for the Novel Prize of the IV Mario Vargas Llosa Biennial. Finalists were celebrated at an event held at the University of Guadalajara last week.

Prof. Boullosa’s novel provides an innovative twist on the book of Genesis to dismantle its patriarchal focus and rebuild the world through the feminine gaze. Based on this exploration, el Libro de Eva takes a tour through common tropes to challenge the idea that woman is the companion, complement, and even accessory to man. With stunning prose, Boullosa gives Eva new life and a role beyond the so called mother of humanity and the source of human suffering. The novel’s English translation, by Samantha Schnee, will be published in 2022.

“Professor Boullosa is one of our greatest living authors, and a brilliant educator,” said Interim Dean Dr. Vanessa K. Valdés. “She consistently inspires Macaulay students to think broadly and deeply and to nurture their own creativity and intellect.”

Distinguished Lecturer Carmen Boullosa is the author of eighteen novels, fifteen collections of poetry, four plays, two collections of short stories, and one screenplay. She was awarded the Rosalia de Castro Award by PEN Galicia in 2018, Café Gijón Award in 2008, and the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize in 1989. She is also the recipient of a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation. She has been a visiting professor at San Diego State University, Georgetown University, the Sorbonne, New York University, and Columbia University. She cohosts the CUNY-TV show, Nueva York.​