Bolivian writer and Cornell professor Liliana Colanzi (CRF 2025) has been awarded the 2025 Zinklar Award for Short Fiction, becoming the first Spanish-language author to receive the prize. Known for her genre-defying, speculative stories rooted in Latin American traditions, Colanzi’s work—especially her acclaimed collection You Glow in the Dark—has earned her a place among the most innovative voices in contemporary fiction. Her writing blends Indigenous cosmologies, eco-horror, and the uncanny, offering powerful reflections on identity, isolation, and irreality. For global arts communities like Civitella, her recognition highlights the potential of cross-cultural storytelling to resonate worldwide.
The Zinklar Prize for Best Short Fiction is a biennial international literary prize administered by the Danish Writers Association. It was established in 2013 through the bequest of Danish writer Finn Zinklar, and honors a single author—Danish or foreign—for their overall achievements in short‐story writing. Laureates receive a monetary award (approximately DKK 100,000) and the recognition is decided by a jury of writers and critics from Denmark. Past winners include Julian Barnes, Lydia Davis, Lorrie Moore, Georgi Gospodinov, and now Liliana.
Image via as.cornell.edu.
