Julia Alvarez

Honorary Chairwoman

An icon in Latino literature, a Dominican-American poet, novelist, essayist and writer in residence at Middlebury College until her retirement in 2016. Julia has supported and inspired the girls, volunteers, and staff at The Mariposa DR Foundation since the beginning. Julia and her husband Bill are longtime advocates for the work at the Mariposa DR Foundation and distinguished guests as the Mariposa girls beam with joy during their visits. Julia has led workshops on reading and writing, mindfulness, and even participated in yoga with the Mariposa girls.

Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” Other honorable awards include the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards for her books for young readers and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award. In 2013 Julia Alvarez received the National Medal of the Arts Award from President Barack Obama. Her novel, In the Time of the Butterflies tells the story of the Mirabal sisters, the heroines of the Dominican Republic, who lost their lives fighting for social justice in the times of Trujillo. Other notable works included How the García Girls Lost their Accent and ¡Yo! to name a few. Her life and work are the Subject of an American Masters documentary, Julia Alvarez, due out with PBS in 2024. Learn more about Julia and her works here: https://www.juliaalvarez.com/