Clorinda Matto de Turner’s Tradiciones cuzqueñas: A Writer’s Perspective

The main purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of Clorinda Matto’s Tradiciones Cuzqueñas for three interconnected reasons. First, these tradiciones (short narrations that recount Andean historical events) kickstarted her writing career and spread her image as an intellectual beyond the borders of Cuzco Province. Second, as a woman writer, she had to reconfigure her discourse to identify herself as a loyal disciple of Ricardo Palma, the creator of the tradición genre. Last, in addition to redefining her own identity as a woman and as a writer, with her Tradiciones Cuzqueñas, Matto redefines the national identity of Peruvian society by presenting a more inclusive picture. A careful study of this early work will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of Matto’s literary career.