Abstract
In August of 1923, Magda Portal stood backstage at Lima’s Municipal Theater, awaiting what must surely have been the crowning glory of her young life. At the age of twenty-three, she had just won the Juegos Florales (Tournament of Flowers), the national poetry competition that was one of the highlights of Lima’s artistic season—an extraordinary accomplishment not just because of her age, but because she would be the first woman in history to earn this accolade. Before the award ceremony could begin, which would include a recitation of her winning poem, a ripple of activity surged through the crowd—Augusto Leguia, the president of the nation, had just entered the auditorium, another unprecedented event. Rather than adding to the moment, however, Leguia’s arrival created a problem—once a reformer, he had seized power in a coup four years earlier, and like most dictators, he had shown intolerance for dissent. Indeed, just a few weeks prior, there had been a brutal crackdown on protestors marching against his policies, which included favoritism toward foreign, particularly U.S., capital and a warm relationship with the Catholic Church. The audience was well aware of all of this and was filled with people who were sympathetic to the protestors. As the mood of the audience thus turned from anticipation to resentment, Portal was invited onto the stage. However, instead of proceeding with the ceremony, Portal once again did something unprecedented—in a voice loud enough to be heard from the audience, she said, “No, I don’t want to greet Leguia, even out of courtesy. I renounce the prize.” This surprising act of defiance prompted warm applause from the audience, and thus began Portal’s career, not only as a prominent figure in Peruvian literature, but also as one of the most important political leaders in her nation’s history. As a poet and novelist, her work remains influential to this day. As a political leader, she led the way as an advocate for women’s rights, particularly the right to vote, as well as a defender of the rights of workers and Native Americans.
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