Inlandia Institute has awarded its 2025 Eliud Martínez Prize to Soledad Rivera, an 83-year-old Inland Empire resident, for her debut novel "Candido."
The annual prize recognizes first-time authors in fiction or creative nonfiction who identify as Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Chicana/o/x. Inlandia Books will publish Rivera's novel in 2027.
Rivera's novel follows a 12-year-old boy's journey from Central Mexico to the American Southwest during the Mexican Revolution of 1910. When Candido learns his grandfather plans to send him to boarding school for a military career, he runs away from his family's ranch. His solo journey through the Sierra Madre Mountains becomes a coming-of-age story as he searches for freedom in El Norte.
UC Santa Barbara professor and playwright Carlos Morton judged this year's competition.
Rivera has lived in the Inland Empire for most of her life. The tenth of 12 children born to parents who immigrated from Mexico, she has worked in public service, education, and as a social and political activist.
The Eliud Martínez Prize honors the late UC Riverside professor who championed multiethnic literature. Martínez introduced UCR's first multiethnic literature course and developed required creative writing courses focused on race, ethnicity, and ancestry.
