María Soledad Cruz Guerra

Soledad is a woman of restless spirit trained in very diverse disciplines, such as journalism, art, philosophy and philology, and forged in multiple social, cultural and political activities, within and outside Cuba. A woman and Cuban who writes and, for doing so, has been awarded the José Martí International Journalism Prize, the La Rosa Blanca Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature, among others. She has been Cuba's Ambassador to UNESCO between 1994 and 2002. She has been Vice President of Children's and Young People's Literature of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. A large part of her abundant literary work has been published in Italian, English or French, such as the novel presented here.

Cuban journalist, essayist and writer. Reporter and commentator for Juventud Rebelde for 24 years. Host and commentator of Diálogo abierto on Radio Progreso. Reporter and commentator for Cuban Television in the spaces la Revista de la mañana and Hoy mismo. Her contributions have been published in the magazines Plural, from Mexico, Temas, from Panama, En rojo y negro from Puerto Rico, Conjunto de Casa de las Américas.

Native of Florida, Camagüey. Soledad studied a Bachelor's degree in Journalism at the University of Havana. Graduate in aesthetics from the Higher Institute of Art in Havana. Post-graduate studies in Contemporary Philosophical Currents and Dialectical Materialism. Incomplete Master's degree in Literary Journalism, Faculty of Communication at the University of Havana. Incomplete studies in French and English language.

She began working at Juventud Rebelde in 1970 as a reporter. Years later she became one of its most outstanding columnists. Appointed in 1991 as Cuba's representative to UNESCO.

Professor of aesthetics during a course at the Ñico López National School.

Creator and executor of the Cultural Reanimation Plan Project of the Sierra Maestra. Advisor to the Cantata de Cinco Palmas Show. Creator and executor of La Peña del barrio.

She has been Cuba's ambassador to UNESCO from August 1994 to December 2001. Elected Delegate to the UNEAC Congress in 2008 and vice president of the Children's and Young People's Literature section of UNEAC in 2008. A large part of her abundant literary work has been published in Italian, English or French.

Vice President of the Children's and Young People's Literature section. Coordinator of the spaces La lechuza andarina and Moviendo los caracoles on the UNEAC website.

She has obtained various awards throughout her literary career, among them:

José Martí International Journalism Prize, 1989
La Rosa Blanca Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature, 1990 for the collection of stories for young people Jinete en la memoria
Abril Prize, 1994 (for the body of her artistic and literary work)
Abril Prize, for the serial No nacieron héroes
July 26 Prize, from UPEC in Chronicle, Interview, Commentary and Report
El Diablo Cojuelo Prize, from UJC
August 23 Medal, from FMC
Laureate Medal, from CTC
Félix Elmuza Medal, from UPEC
Distinguished Services Medal, from MININT
Máximo Gómez Machete, from FAR
490th Anniversary Distinction of the City of Camagüey
Diploma of Honor from the UNESCO Ambassadors Club
Recognition Diploma for her cultural work from the Cinema, Radio and Television Association of UNEAC
Declared Distinguished Daughter of her locality for her social and professional merits.

About Her Literary Work
This author has a wide range of written works, including articles, essays, reviews and others.

Works Published in Cuba
Fábulas por el amor, Editora Abril, Havana, 1988 (children's narrative)
Jinete en la memoria, Editora Abril, Havana, 1989 (narrative for adolescents and young people)
Adioses y bienvenidas, Editora Abril, Havana 1990 (novel for young people)
Documentos de la otra, Editorial Capitán San Luis, Havana 1991 (poetry)
Erótica del adiós, Editorial Ácana, Camagüey, 2004 (poetry)
Las dudas del fuego, Ediciones de La Discreta, Alpedrete, Madrid 2011
Eternamente tuya, Editorial Gente Nueva, Havana, 2008
Polémica de las estaciones, Editorial Unión, Havana 2010
Los ojos del corazón, Ediciones Cauce, 2012
El cosmonauta, Editorial Gente Nueva, 2012
El enigma de Cecilia Valdés, Editorial Gente Nueva, Havana, 2019.

Her works have been included in several anthologies.

Works Published Abroad
Documentos de la otra, poetry collection, Comité de Intelectuales de Puerto Rico, 1988
Pubblica dichiarazion d amore, Arci Nova, 1993
Public declaration of love. White Pine Press. New York, 1995
Delfín, delfinero, Mondadori, Milan. 1997
Lettere credenziali, Edizioni della Battaglia, 1998
Il cavallo con lombrello. Edizioni Il capitello, 1999
Declaratione publique damour. Índigo. Cote femmes, 1999
Les doutes du feu., Novel, Indigo, 2001.
Hamlet devant aduane. Universitè Lyon. 2002
Participation in book about Cuba published in Italy, 2005 Le bambine dell Avana non hanno paura di niente, 2006 Finalist of the Everyone is Different Contest, from the Civil Rights Association, From Spain, 2009. The recognized short story has been published in a book made by the contest organizers. Las dudas del fuego, Editorial La discreta, Madrid, Spain 2011

Event Participation
She has participated in numerous events in Cuba: Frequently at Caracol de la UNEAC and representing Cuba abroad.

Komsomol Congress, Moscow, 1978
Tour of Nicaragua with the Teatro Escambray Group, 1979
International Congress of Women, Moscow 1986
International Festival of Youth and Students, Moscow, 1988
Encounter Second generation of Cubans, United States 1989
UJC prize trip for work results, 1991
UJC prize trip for work results, 1992 to Paris, France
Invited by Georgetown University of the United States, 1992
Writers Encounter, Arci Nova, 1993
Writers Encounter, Piacenza, 2003
Plural Caribbean Colloquium University of Bordeaux, 2003
Women Colloquium Latin American New Film Festival with the texts: La otra mirada and La mujer en el audiovisual
Her book Adioses y bienvenida was studied in the Spanish program of professor Jean Lamore at Montaigne University of Bordeaux