Uriel Quesada Román (b. July 6, 1962) is a Costa Rican writer, professor, and LGBT rights activist. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Costa Rican literature. He currently resides in the United States and works as a professor at Loyola University New Orleans.
He began his literary career in the 1980s with the short story collection (1985). This was followed by (1990), which won him the Premio Nacional Aquileo J EcheverrÃÂa in the short story category, and (1995).
In 1999, he published the short story âÂÂâ in the cultural magazine , part of , which sparked strong controversy due to its homosexual theme. The story narrates in plain language the tale of a young man on a train who meets a newlywed English couple. During the journey, the English man discreetly caresses the protagonistâÂÂs leg and later performs oral sex on him in the restroom. The story was later included in the book (2004), which won the Ancora Prize in 2005.
In 2005, he published the novel , considered one of his most notable works. The novel, which earned him the Aquileo J. EcheverrÃÂa National Prize for best novel, follows, in autobiographical tone, the life of , a boy whose thoughts mix reality with fantasy. He flees his home in Santa Cruz to escape his fatherâÂÂs rejection and falls in love with another boy named ÃÂñigo.
His next work was the novel (2016), which tells the story of two sisters who go on a journey with others after learning their father has joined a new woman and is raising a new daughter, who they fear may claim part of the inheritance. One of the characters, Gonzalo, begins to discover his homosexuality in 1970s Central America.
In 2018, he published the short story collection , for which he again won the Aquileo J. EcheverrÃÂa National Prize in the short story category.