Teresa de la Caridad Melo Rodríguez

Cuban poet and editor, one of the primary lyrical voices of the 1980s. Editor and director of Ediciones Santiago. Her work earned several of the most important Cuban literary awards, among which stand out the Nicolás Guillén Prize for poetry, La Puerta de Papel, and the Literary Criticism Prize. She also received the Distinction for National Culture, granted by the Ministry of Culture.

In parallel with her poetic, journalistic, and essayistic creation, she developed extensive work as an editor and promoter of books and literature. She was editor-director of the magazine Cúpulas of the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA); member of the editorial board of the magazine SiC of Editorial Oriente, of the Editorial Board of El Caimán Barbudo and La Jiribilla; director of the Provincial Center for Books and Literature in Santiago de Cuba; editor and director of Ediciones Santiago and literary promoter of the Caguayo Foundation. She was also coordinator of the International Festival of Caribbean Poets, an annual event inserted in the Caribbean Festival.

She was a member of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and Honorary member of the Hermanos Saíz Association.

She worked as a judge in numerous awards, among which are:

Loynaz Prize
Revolución y Cultura Magazine Prize
City of Santiago Prize
Seven First Villages Prize
Botti Prize
La Gaceta de Cuba Prize
Biennial Literature Prize
José María Heredia Prize
El Caimán Barbudo Prize
Nicolás Guillén National Prize

Works
Ediciones Santiago, 2021
In the tribute The Author and His Work on June 17, 2015 at the Rubén Martínez Villena Public Library.

Among her publications are the poetry collections:
Libro de Estefanía, Ediciones Caserón, 1990.
El vino del error, Ediciones Unión, 1998.
Yo no quería ser reina, Ediciones Santiago, 2001.
El mundo de Daniela –poetry for children–, Centro de Ediciones de Málaga, Spain, 2002; Ediciones Cauce, 2006.
Las altas horas, Editorial Letras Cubanas, 2003; Ediciones Espiral Maior S L, Galicia, 2008.
Yo no quería ser reina, Ediciones Santiago, 2021.

She published the chapbooks:
Los poemas de Estefanía (Ediciones Vigía, Matanzas, 1988)
El tiempo sólo engaña a los suicidas (Ediciones Hoguera Roja, AHS, Santiago de Cuba, 1989)
Respirar en la oscuridad (Eds Vigía, 2005).

Compiler of poetry anthologies:
"Mujer adentro", Ed. Oriente, 1999
"Incesante rumor", Canary Islands, 2002
"Soy el amor, soy el verso. Selection of love poetry in Spanish language", Ed. Oriente, 2004
"Silvio: te debo esta canción", Eds Santiago, 2005
"Para cantarle a una ciudad. Poems to Santiago de Cuba", Eds Santiago, 2005
"Estos otros argumentos. Poetry by Nancy Morejón", Eds Santiago, 2005
"Algunas fatigas y fulgores. Poetry by Farruco Sesto", Eds Santiago, 2006

Her work was also published in numerous poetry anthologies worldwide and in various languages, in serial publications and in internet magazines.

Awards and Honors
Jacques Roumain Prize 1987 (Casa del Caribe, Santiago de Cuba)
Julián del Casal Mention 1987 (Havana, UNEAC)
Cuban Culture Day Prize 1987
David Mention 1988 (Havana, UNEAC)
Criticism Prize 1999 for "El vino del error"
Dador Prize-Fellowship 2000 from the Cuban Book Institute for the poetry project Las altas horas
Nicolás Guillén National Prize 2003
Criticism Prize 2004, for the poetry collection Las altas horas
Integral Prize La Rosa Blanca of UNEAC 2004
Distinction for National Culture in 2002
Heredia Plaque 2003
XX Anniversary Seal of the AHS, of which she is Honorary Member
UNESCO Fellowship for the study of poetry written by women from 1959 to date
Order for National Culture, recognition granted by the State Council of the Republic of Cuba, by virtue of creation in favor of national identity and at the proposal of the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) October 18, 2014
Grand Prize La Puerta de Papel, for Yo no quería ser reina