Daína Chaviano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daína Chaviano
Born	(1957-02-19) 19 February 1957 (age 68) Havana, Cuba
Occupation	Novelist
Language	Spanish
Nationality	Cuban-American
Citizenship	Cuban American
Genre	Fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction
Notable works	The Island of Eternal Love
Relatives	César Évora (cousin)

Daína Chaviano (born February 19, 1957, in Havana, Cuba) is a talented Cuban-American writer. She has lived in the United States since 1991.

She is famous for her fantasy and science fiction stories. Many people think she is one of the top three female writers in these genres in the Spanish language. The other two are Angélica Gorodischer from Argentina and Elia Barceló from Spain. Together, they are sometimes called the "feminine trinity of science fiction in Ibero-America."

In Cuba, Daína Chaviano published many science fiction and fantasy books. She became the most well-known and best-selling author in these types of stories in Cuban literature.

About Daína Chaviano's Life

Daína Chaviano was born in Havana, Cuba. She was the oldest of four children. Her father was an economist, and her mother had two Ph.D. degrees in Philosophy and Psychology.

Early Success as a Writer

When she was just starting college, Daína Chaviano won the first science fiction contest ever held in Cuba. This was in 1979, with her collection of short stories called Los mundos que amo (The Worlds I Love). After her book was published in 1980, the main story was made into a photonovel in 1982. This photonovel sold 200,000 copies in just three months! This was a huge success and made her very popular.

Studying and Teaching Literature

Daína Chaviano earned a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Havana. After that, she started the first science fiction writing workshop in Cuba. She named it "Oscar Hurtado" to honor the person considered the father of science fiction on the island.

Moving to the United States and International Fame

In 1991, Daína Chaviano left Cuba and moved to the United States. There, she worked as a translator, writer for newspapers, and editor. In 1998, she became famous around the world when she won the Azorín Prize for Best Novel in Spain. This award was for her book El hombre, la hembra y el hambre.

This book is part of her series called «The Occult Side of Havana». Other books in this series include Casa de juegos, Gata encerrada, and La isla de los amores infinitos (which means The Island of Eternal Love). This series is seen as very important for understanding the feelings and experiences of the Cuban people. The Island of Eternal Love has been published in 26 languages, making it the most translated Cuban novel ever! In 2007, this novel won a gold medal at the Florida Book Awards for Best Book in Spanish Language.

Special Guest and Awards

In 2004, Daína Chaviano was the special guest at the 25th International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA) in the United States. This was the first time a Spanish-language writer had received this honor. In November 2014, she was also a special guest at the University Book Fair in Tabasco, Mexico. There, she received the Malinalli National Award for promoting arts, human rights, and cultural diversity. She was the first international person to receive this award.

Recent Works and Achievements

Her collection of short stories, Extraños Testimonios, was published in 2017. Daína Chaviano described this book's style as "Caribbean Gothic." It mixes scary elements, humor, and a bit of mystery, all set in sunny Caribbean places.

In 2019, her historical thriller Los Hijos de la Diosa Huracán was published. This novel took more than ten years to research! It brings to life the world of the Taíno people, who were the main native culture in the Caribbean. The book highlights the importance of Taino mythology, especially their three main goddesses: Atabey, Guabancex, and Iguanaboína.

In 2020, Los Hijos de la Diosa Huracán won a gold medal at the Florida Book Awards 2019 for Best Book in Spanish Language. This made Daína Chaviano the only writer to win this award twice in that category.

Her book País de Dragones, published in Colombia in 2021, won the Los Mejores de Banco del Libro award. This award is given to the best books for children and young people published in Spanish around the world.

Daína Chaviano has also been a guest speaker and visiting author at many universities and colleges. These include Denison University (2007), Florida International University (2014), Miami Dade College (2016), and University of North Georgia (2017).

She is also a cousin of the famous Cuban actor César Évora.

What Inspires Daína Chaviano's Writing

Daína Chaviano's writing is mostly inspired by ancient stories and myths. She loves the Celtic world, different mythologies, and the great epic poems from old civilizations.

Some of her inspirations include the stories of King Arthur, and myths from Greece, Rome, Egypt, and ancient American cultures. She also draws from very old epic poems like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Mahabharata, the Popol Vuh, and the Odyssey.

Daína Chaviano has said that she doesn't feel a strong connection to Cuban literature. She loves Anglo-Saxon literature so much that she studied English literature in college. This allowed her to read many of her favorite authors in their original language.

Her books are often described as "bold experiments." They mix different types of stories and ideas in new and exciting ways.

Daína Chaviano's Books in English

• 2019: "Dolores" (short story), in Island in the Light / Isla en la luz.
• 2017: "Accursed Lineage" (short story), in Latin@ Rising: An Anthology of Latin@ Science Fiction and Fantasy.
• 2008: The Island of Eternal Love (novel).
• 2003: "The Annunciation" (short story), in Cosmos Latinos: An Anthology of Science Fiction from Latin America and Spain.

Daína Chaviano's Books in Spanish

Books Published Outside Cuba

• 2019: Los hijos de la Diosa Huracán (novel).
• 2018: Fábulas de una abuela extraterrestre (novel).
• 2017: El abrevadero de los dinosaurios (short stories).
• 2017: Extraños testimonios (short stories).
• 2007: Historias de hadas para adultos (novellas).
• 2006: La isla de los amores infinitos (novel).
• 2005: El abrevadero de los dinosaurios (short stories).
• 2004: Los mundos que amo (short novel).
• 2003: Fábulas de una abuela extraterrestre (novel).
• 2001: País de dragones (short stories).
• 2001: Gata encerrada (novel).
• 1999: Casa de juegos (novel).
• 1998: El hombre, la hembra y el hambre (novel).

Books Published in Cuba

• 1990: El abrevadero de los dinosaurios (short stories).
• 1989: La anunciación (film script).
• 1988: Fábulas de una abuela extraterrestre (novel).
• 1986: Historias de hadas para adultos (novellas).
• 1983: Amoroso planeta (short stories).
• 1980: Los mundos que amo (short stories).

Awards and Special Recognitions

Daína Chaviano has received many awards for her writing:

• 2022: Winner at Los Mejores de Banco del Libro (Venezuela), for País de dragones.
• 2020: First Place in two categories (Best Popular Fiction and Best Novel Adventure or Drama in Spanish) in the International Latino Book Awards, for Los hijos de la Diosa Huracán.
• 2020: Gold Medal Winner in the Florida Book Awards 2019, for Best Spanish Language Book (USA), for Los hijos de la Diosa Huracán.
• 2017: Guest of Honor at the 12th North American Science Fiction Convention (San Juan, Puerto Rico).
• 2014: Malinalli National Award 2014 for the Promotion of Arts, Human Rights, and Cultural Diversity (Mexico).
• 2014: Guest of Honor at the Tabasco University Book Fair (Mexico).
• 2010: The Island of Eternal Love was on the longlist for the International Dublin Literary Award IMPAC.
• 2008: Finalist of the Prix Relay du Roman d'Évasion (France), for L'île des amours éternelles (The Island of Eternal Love).
• 2007: Gold Medal Winner in the Florida Book Awards 2006, for Best Spanish Language Book (USA), for La Isla de los amores infinitos (The Island of Eternal Love).
• 2004: Guest of Honor at the 25th Conference held by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, Fort Lauderdale (USA).
• 2003: Goliardos Fantasy International Award (Mexico), for Fábulas de una abuela extraterrestre.
• 1998: Azorín Prize for Best Novel (Spain), for El hombre, la hembra y el hambre.
• 1990: Anna Seghers Award, Academy of Arts in Berlin (Germany), for Fábulas de una abuela extraterrestre.
• 1989: "La Edad de Oro" (The Golden Age) National Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature (Cuba), for País de dragones.
• 1988: "13 de marzo", Best Literary Film Script (Cuba), for La anunciación.
• 1979: David National Prize for Best SF Book (Cuba), for Los mundos que amo.

See also

In Spanish: Daína Chaviano para niños

• Cuban American literature
• List of Cuban-American writers