Mary Grueso

Born in 1947 in the village of Chuare Napi, in Guapi, Cauca. She has a degree in Spanish and Literature from Universidad del Quindío, is a specialist in literature education from the same institution, and also has a graduate certificate in play and recreation for social and cultural development from Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores. Mary is also a writer, poet, and oral narrator. She was honored with the title of almadre, which acknowledges female poetic excellence at the Rayo Museum.
 
Between 2005 and 2007, she served as a professor of literature at Universidad del Valle. She has also been a professor at Universidad Libre, Universidad del Pacífico, and in a few Buenos Aires schools. She has been president and vice-president of the Valle del Cauca Literature Council. In 2011, she was appointed technical director of culture in Buenaventura. Her books include: El otro yo que sí soy yo [The Other Me, Which Is Me], Del baúl a la escuela [From the Chest to School], El mar y tú [The Sea and You], Negra soy [I'm Black], Tómame antes que la noche llegue [Take Me Before Night Falls], Cuando los ancestros llaman [When Ancestors Call], Mi gente, mi tierra y mi mar [My People, My Land, and My Ocean] (in CD format), La muñeca negra [The Black Doll], La niña en el espejo [The Girl in the Mirror], La cucarachita mandinga [Mandinga the Cockroach], and El gran susto de Petronila [Petronila's Big Scare].