Javier L. Mora

Javier L. Mora is an award-winning poet, literary critic, and translator from Cuba who began his career more than a decade ago.

Mora has published several poetry collections,including Examen de los institutos civiles (2012), Manejos del ojo (2019),Ablandar una lengua (2020) and Exhibiciones (2021), as well as a volume of essays titled Matar al gato ruso y otros ensayos (2022). In addition, Mora complied, co-authored, and wrote the prologue for the anthology Long Playing Poetry: Cuba: Generación Años Cero (2017), together with writer Ángel Pérez.

Javier L. Mora has won several awards for his poetry,including the David Award (2012), the La Gaceta de Cuba Prize (2018), and the Hypermedia Editorial Prize (2019) for his poetry. For his essays, Mora has received the Beca de Creación Dador (2014) and the Pinos Nuevos prize (2018).

Since 2021, Mora has been part of the Archipiélago civic platform, a Cuban social protest movement working for democracy, peaceful political change, and the release of Cuba’s political prisoners.

As a result of Mora’s criticism of the Cuban government and its human rights violations and participation in protests, he faced harassment, detention, and organised state persecution.

In July 2025, Javier L. Mora and his partner, the award-winning poet, writer, and journalist Zulema Gutiérrez arrived in Gdańsk, Poland where they are the ICORN residents until 2026.