Diana Bellessi

Diana Belessi was born in Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina, in 1946. She studied philosophy at the Universidad Nacional from Litoral, and between 1969 and 1975 she walked the American Continent.  For over two years she coordinated writing workshops in prisons in Buenos Aires, experience embodied in her book Paloma de contrabando (Torres Aguero, Buenos Aires, 1988). She has published Destino y propagaciones (Casa de la cultura de Guayaquil, Ecuador, 1970); Crucero ecuatorial (Sirirí, Buenos Aires, l981); Tributo del mudo (Sirirí, Buenos Aires, 1982) – these last two books published together in one volume by Libros de Tierra Firme in 1994-; Contéstame, baila mi danza (selection and translation of North American contemporary poets, Ultimo Reino, Buenos Aires, 1984 – republish in extended edition by Angria Editions, Caracas, in 1995, under the title  Diez poetas norteamericanas-); Danzante de doble máscara (Ultimo Reino, Buenos Aires, 1985); Eroica (Libros de Tierra Firme/Ultimo Reino, Buenos Aires, 1988); Buena travesía, buena ventura pequeña Uli (Nusud, Buenos Aires, l991); Días de seda (selection and translation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s poems, Nusud, Buenos Aires, 1991); El jardín (Bajo la Luna Nueva, Rosario-Buenos Aires, l993, republish in l994); Colibrí, ¡lanza relámpagos! (selected poems, Libros de Tierra Firme, Buenos Aires, l996); Lo propio y lo ajeno (a book about meditations, Feminaria, Buenos Aires, 1996; reissue enlarged, Lom, Santiago de Chile, 2006); The twins, the dream (duet book together with Ursula K. Le Guin, Arte Público Press, University of Houston, Houston, 1996); Sur (Libros de Tierra Firme, Buenos Aires, 1998). Gemelas del sueño (with U.K.Le Guin, Norma Ed., Bogotá, 1998); Leyenda (selected poems, Nuevas Ediciones de Bolsillo, Barcelona, 2002); Antología poética (National Endowments for the Arts, Buenos Aires, 2002); Mate cocido (Grupo Editor Latinoamericano, Buenos Aires 2002); Desnuda y aguda la dulzura de la vida (selection and translation of Sophía de Mello Breyner’s poems, Adriana Hidalgo, Buenos Aires, 2002); La edad dorada (Adriana Hidalgo, Buenos Aires, 2003); La rebelión del instante (Adriana Hidalgo, Buenos Aires, 2005); Variaciones de la luz (Bajo la luna, Buenos Aires, 2006); Persecución del sueño (Selected Poems, Lom, Santiago de Chile, 2006); La penumbra que mira el oro (Selected Poems, Limón, Buenos Aires, 2006); La voz en bandolera (Selected Poems, Visor, Barcelona, 2008); Tener lo que se tiene (Collected Poems, Adriana Hidalgo, Buenos Aires, 2009).  In 2003 she receive the Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry; in 1996 the Honorary Fellowship by Antorchas Foundation; in 2004 the Diploma with Merit of the Konex Prize; in 2007 the Honorary Prize in Poetry by the National Endowments for the Arts; in 2012 the Prize Fundación El Libro – Best Book of the Year 2009 – Book Fair in Buenos Aires. In 2012 she was declared Distinguished Citizen of Buenos Aires City. In August 2011 she received National Book Award in Poetry.

Diana Bellessi’s website