Claudia Salazar Jiménez

Claudia Salazar Jiménez was born on 5 July,[1] 1976, in Lima, Peru.[2] She attended the National University of San Marcos, where she studied literature, then she completed doctoral studies in Latin American literature at the New York University.[2]

Claudia Salazar Jiménez is regarded as one of the prominent literary voices of her generation in Peru.[3] She funded the Fuegos de Arena literary magazine[3] and edited Latin American literature anthologies, such as Escribir en Nueva York. Antología de narradores hispanoamericanos.[1][4] She also published her own short fiction in journals and anthologies,[2][5] such as Basta. 100 mujeres contra la violencia de género (2012) or Denominación de origen: Perú. Antología del cuento peruano (2014).[5] She was awarded Premio TUMI a la Excelencia Profesional.[1]

Her debut novel Blood of the Dawn (La sangre de la aurora) was published in 2013.[2] The work, written from a woman's point of view[4][6] and set in the 80s in Peru, during the times of internal unrest and the Shining Path,[7] was one of the first in Peru to focus on exploring the links between gender-based violence, ethnicity and race of that period, criticising violence against Quechua women and showing their ways of resisting.[8] The novel won the Premio Las Américas (2014).[2][7] In a review written for NPR, Michael Schaub called the book "beautiful, horrifying work of art".[6]

Apart from her literary work, Salazar Jiménez also applies herself as a cultural manager; she founded and headed PeruFest, which was the first Peruvian cinema festival in the city of New York.[1][3]

She was professor at Sarah Lawrence College[5][9] and, as of 2023, is part of the faculty of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where her area of expertise is, among others, Latin American literature and creative writing.[10] She is the recipient of Premio Sylvia Molloy award for her academic work.[1]