Uk New Spanish Books

Spain is home to more than 1,600 literary competitions, many sponsored by publishing houses or small municipalities. Prize money ranges from a nominal 300 euros (₤200) to the far from nominal 601,000 euros (₤400,000) of the Premio Planeta.

In the case of the National Literature Prizes (Premios Nacionales) awarded each year by Spain’s Ministry of Culture, a jury is responsible for choosing the best Spanish writer in categories including poetry, essays, fiction and narrative. The Ministry’s flagship award, however, is the Premio Cervantes, a prize of international renown, which recognises a lifetime's achievement by a writer working in the Spanish language.

A further raft of awards are the “Premios de la Crítica”, conferred annually by the Spanish Association of Literary Critics.  These awards recognise the finest literary works, narrative and poetry, published in Spain's four official languages; Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque. A jury nominated by the association announces the awards each April.  The Premios de la Critica, though highly prestigious, carry no financial reward, enhancing reputations rather than bank balances.

In Spain, publishing houses as well as foundations and trusts run their own literary competitions.

So far, this year the following literary prizes have been awarded: