The Premio Aena de Narrativa is born
The first edition of the Premio Aena de Narrativa is launched to promote literary creation, encourage reading, and strengthen the bond between literature and society.
The award recognizes narrative works published in Spanish and in Spain’s co-official languages that stand out for their literary quality, originality, and cultural contribution. It is endowed with 1,000,000 euros for the winning work and 30,000 euros for each finalist.
Alongside the Award, initiatives to promote reading and literary dialogue in Spain and Latin America will be launched to highlight literary diversity, promote the circulation of authors, and foster a rich and meaningful dialogue between the two continents.
Key dates
How the winning work is chosen
1. Pre-selection
A team composed of cultural and literary journalism professionals, or similar profiles from Spain and Latin America, will propose an initial list of five finalists from among all narrative works written in Spanish and Spain’s co-official languages and published in 2025. This selection is communicated to the jury.
2. Final Selection
Each member of the jury—comprised of prestigious professionals from the literary, publishing, or academic fields within the Spanish and Latin American cultural sphere—may propose one additional work to be added to the pre-selected list. From all these titles, the jury will choose the five finalists through a vote held in March. Finally, the jury will select the winning work from among the finalists during the gala to be held on April 8th in Barcelona.
The Jury
Rosa Montero Chair of the Jury
Writer and journalist. National Journalism Prize and National Prize for Literature in Spain. Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of France. Her work has been translated into around thirty languages. She is one of the leading columnists for the newspaper "El País".
Pilar Adón
Writer and translator. National Prize for Narrative, Critics’ Prize, Francisco Umbral Book of the Year Award, and Cálamo Otra Mirada Prize. She has translated works by Penelope Fitzgerald, John Fowles, and Iris Murdoch, among others. She is also an editor at Impedimenta.
Luis Alberto de Cuenca
Writer, philologist, and translator. National Poetry Prize, National Translation Prize, and Queen Sofía Prize for Ibero-American Poetry. Member of the Real Academia de la Historia, board member of the Museo del Prado, and juror for the Premio Princesa de Asturias de las Letras.
Jorge Fernández Díaz
Journalist, writer, and political analyst. Among the distinctions he has received are the Cross of the Order of Isabel la Católica, the Premio Nadal de Novela, and the Premio Martín Fierro (2016, 2019, and 2024). He hosts programs on Radio Mitre and is a columnist for La Nación.
Leila Guerriero
Writer, journalist, and editor. She publishes in various Latin American and Spanish media outlets. Recipient of the Foundation for New Ibero-American Journalism Award and the Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Journalism Prize, among others. Member of the Governing Board of the Fundación Gabo, where she is a Master of Creative Nonfiction.
José Carlos Llop
Writer, librarian, and translator. Anthropos Prize, Prix Écureuil de Littérature Étrangère (France), and Ramon Llull Prize of the Balearic Government for his body of work. He has translated, among others, Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Derek Walcott.
Elmer Mendoza
Novelist, playwright, and short story writer. Premio Tusquets de Novela and Premio Nacional de Literatura José Fuentes Mares laureate. Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa and member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua since 2012.
Jesús Gª Calero Secretary of the Jury
Journalist and writer. Director of the cultural supplement ABC Cultural and head of the Culture section of the newspaper ABC in Madrid. Member of the Association of Investigative Journalists (API). Specialized in History and Heritage reporting.
Sergio Vila-Sanjuán Secretary of the Jury
Journalist, novelist, and playwright. Head of Culture at La Vanguardia since 1987 and director of its cultural supplement Culturals. Premio Nadal de Novela and Premio Fernando Lara laureate. Specialist in literary topics and the history of Spanish publishing.
Partnerships
Partnerships
