Karina Pacheco awarded French Order of Arts and Letters

Peruvian author Karina Pacheco Medrano has been awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters, a prestigious distinction from the French Ministry of Culture. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the French Embassy in Lima by Ambassador Nathalie Kennedy.

Ambassador Kennedy praised Pacheco’s literary contributions, noting that while some writers merely tell stories, Pacheco belongs to the group of writers who “make people see the world in a different way.” This honor is considered one of the highest cultural distinctions granted to a Peruvian author emerging in the 21st century.

Pacheco joins an elite group of Peruvian recipients of this honor, including Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, painter Fernando de Szyszlo, artist Gerardo Chavez, and chef Gaston Acurio. Her body of work includes several novels such as ‘La voluntad del molle’ and ‘El año del viento’, as well as various short story collections and non-fiction titles.