Premio Biblioteca Breve

The Premio Biblioteca Breve is a literary award given annually by the publisher Seix Barral (now part of Grupo Planeta) to an unpublished novel in the Spanish language. Its prize is €30,000 and publication of the winning work.[1] It is delivered in February, to a work from the preceding year.

Premio Biblioteca Breve
Awarded for	Unpublished novel
Sponsored by	Seix Barral (Grupo Planeta)
Date	14 June 1958
Location	Barcelona, Spain
Reward(s)	€30,000

History

On 14 June 1958, a jury comprising literary critics Josep Maria Castellet and José María Valverde, and editors Víctor Seix (editorial director), Juan Petit (literary director) and Carlos Barral (director of the collection), gave the inaugural award in Sitges, Barcelona. As stated by members of the jury, it was intended to encourage young writers and the renewal of Spanish literature.[2]

Due to the death of Juan Petit in January 1964 (replaced as literary director by Gabriel Ferrater), the exile of José María Valverde to Canada in 1967, and the death of Víctor Seix in October of that year, the jury was joined by Salvador Clotas, Luis Goytisolo, and Juan García Hortelano for subsequent editions. The bases were also modified: for a few years the award took Petit's name as a tribute. In the same way, the Spanish political situation dictated that, in some editions, eligibility was extended to any Iberian Romance language, although no works in Catalan or Portuguese were awarded.

The 1971 edition's jury comprised Luis Goytisolo, Juan Rulfo, Joan Ferraté, and Pere Gimferrer, with Guillermo Cabrera Infante joining in 1972. However, in 1973 the award ceased to be given due to numerous internal factors (dissensions within the publisher) and external factors (problems with censorship).[2]

In 1998, Basilio Baltasar, the new literary director of Seix Barral (by this time part of Grupo Planeta), decided to reconvene the prize, with the aim of recovering the spirit with which it was born, trying to recognize both Spanish and Latin American authors.[2][3]

First era winners (1958–1972)

• 1958 – Las afueras by Luis Goytisolo (Spain)[2]
• 1959 – Nuevas amistades by Juan García Hortelano (Spain)[4]
• 1960 – Declared vacant; finalists were Encerrados con un solo juguete by Juan Marsé (Spain),[5] La criba by Daniel Sueiro (Spain), and Los extraordinarios by Ana Mairena (Mexico)
• 1961 – Dos días de setiembre by José Manuel Caballero (Spain)[6]
• 1962 – The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)[7]
• 1963 – Los albañiles by Vicente Leñero (Mexico)[8]
• 1964 – Vista de amanecer en el trópico[lower-alpha 1] by Guillermo Cabrera Infante (Cuba)[3]
• 1965 – Últimas tardes con Teresa by Juan Marsé (Spain)[5]
  • Finalist: Betrayed by Rita Hayworth by Manuel Puig (Argentina)
• 1966 – Not given
• 1967 – A Change of Skin[lower-alpha 2] by Carlos Fuentes (Mexico)[9]
  • Finalist: El mercurio by José María Guelbenzu (Spain)
• 1968 – País portátil by Adriano González León (Venezuela)[10]
• 1969 – Una meditación by Juan Benet[11]
• 1970 – Due to internal problems at the publisher, no award was given in this edition. It would have gone to The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso (Chile).[12]
• 1971 – Sonámbulo del sol by Nivaria Tejera (Cuba)[13]
• 1972 – La circuncisión del señor solo by José Leyva (Spain)[14]

Second era winners (1999–present)

Year	Novel	Author	Nationality	ISBN.	Ref.
1999	En busca de Klingsor	Jorge Volpi	Mexican	9780061626722	[3]
2000	Los impacientes	Gonzalo Garcés	Argentine	9788432210648	[15]
2001	Velódromo de invierno	Juana Salabert	Spanish	9788420684437	[16]
2002	Satanás	Mario Mendoza	Colombian	9789584226365	[17]
2003	Los príncipes nubios	Juan Bonilla	Spanish	9788432217876	[18]
2004	La burla del tiempo	Mauricio Electorat	Chilean	9788432211799	[19]
2005	Una palabra tuya	Elvira Lindo	Spanish	9788432290091	[20]
2006	La segunda mujer	Luisa Castro	Spanish	9788432217609	[21]
2007	El séptimo velo	Juan Manuel de Prada	Spanish	9780061626692	[22]
2008	El infinito en la palma de la mano	Gioconda Belli	Nicaraguan	9780062242006	[23]
2009	Corazón de napalm	Clara Usón	Spanish	9788432225611	[24]
2010	El oficinista	Guillermo Saccomanno	Argentine	9788432291227	[25]
2011	Leonora	Elena Poniatowska	Mexican	9781846688553	[26]
2012	El jardín colgante	Javier Calvo	Spanish	9788432209949	[27]
2013	Música de cámara	Rosa Regàs	Spanish	9788432219436	[28]
2014	Ávidas pretensiones	Fernando Aramburu	Spanish	9788432222863	[29]
2015	La isla del padre	Fernando Marías Amondo	Spanish	9788432224850	[30]
2016	El Sistema	Ricardo Menéndez Salmón	Spanish	9788432229244	[31]
2017	A cielo abierto	Antonio Iturbe	Spanish	9788432232480	[32]
2018	Trilogía de la guerra	Agustín Fernández Mallo	Spanish	9788432233784	[1]

Notes

1. In exile he would rework the novel as Tres tristes tigres (lit. 'Three Sad Tigers'), and the same title was later given to a book of vignettes.
2. Not published in Spain, and published in Mexico by Joaquín Mortiz.

References

1. "Fernández Mallo gana el Premio Biblioteca Breve con 'Trilogía de la guerra'" [Fernández Mallo Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve with 'Trilogía de la guerra'] (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
2. Vidal-Folch, Ignacio (2 October 1998). "Vuelve el Premio Biblioteca Breve, de la editorial Seix Barral" [The Premio Biblioteca Breve Returns, from the Seix Barral Publishing House]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
3. Obiols, Isabel (15 April 1999). "El mexicano Jorge Volpi gana el Biblioteca Breve en la 'resurrección' del premio" [The Mexican Jorge Volpi Wins the Biblioteca Breve in the 'Resurrection' of the Award]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
4. Revista de estudios hispánicos, Volumes 12-13. University of Alabama Press. 1978. p. 359. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Google Books.
5. "Nueva edición de 'Últimas tardes con Teresa' incluye material de la censura" [New Edition of 'Últimas tardes con Teresa' Includes Censored Material]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
6. Fortes, José Antonio (1990). La nueva narrativa andaluza: una lectura de sus textos [The New Andalusian Narrative: A Reading of its Texts] (in Spanish). Anthropos Editorial. p. 130. ISBN 9788476582909. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Internet Archive.
7. "Cinco novelas esenciales de Mario Vargas Llosa" [Five Essential Novels by Mario Vargas Llosa]. Semana (in Spanish). 10 July 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
8. Cortés, Eladio, ed. (1992). Dictionary of Mexican Literature. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 365. ISBN 9780313262715. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Internet Archive.
9. Rodríguez Marcos, Javier (3 August 2011). "El nuevo Premio Formentor, para Carlos Fuentes" [The New Formentor Award, for Carlos Fuentes]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
10. Uslar Pietri, Arturo (1979). "Pasos y pasajeros" [Steps and Passengers]. Las lanzas coloradas y cuentos selectos [The Colored Spears and Selected Stories]. Fundacion Biblioteca Ayacuch. p. LXII. ISBN 9788466000277. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Google Books.
11. Herzberger, David K. (1976). The novelistic world of Juan Benet. The American Hispanist. p. 71. ISBN 9780892170029. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Google Books.
12. Gilman, Claudia (2003). Entre la pluma y el fusil: debates y dilemas del escritor revolucionario en América Latina [Between the Pen and the Rifle: Debates and Dilemmas of the Revolutionary Writer in Latin America] (in Spanish). Siglo Veintiuno Editores Argentina. p. 93. ISBN 9789871105342. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Google Books.
13. ABC, Madrid (in Spanish). Prensa Española. 1971. p. 86. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Google Books.
14. de Dios Ruiz Copete, Juan (1976). Introducción y proceso a la nueva narrativa andaluza [Introduction and Process to the New Andalusian Narrative] (in Spanish). Publicaciones de la Excma. p. 265. Retrieved 5 September 2018 – via Google Books.
15. Obiols, Isabel (6 April 2000). "El autor argentino Gonzalo Garcés gana el Premio Biblioteca Breve 'Los impacientes' narra la 'inquietud y las expectativas' de tres jóvenes de Buenos Aires" [Argentine Author Gonzalo Garcés Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve 'Los impacientes' Narrates the 'Restlessness and Expectations' of Three Young People from Buenos Aires]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
16. Obiols, Isabel (29 March 2001). "Juana Salabert gana el Premio Biblioteca Breve con una obra sobre el Holocausto" [Juana Salabert Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve with a Work About the Holocaust]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
17. Obiols, Isabel (5 February 2002). "El colombiano Mario Mendoza gana el Premio Biblioteca Breve" [The Colombian Mario Mendoza Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
18. Obiols, Isabel (5 February 2003). "Juan Bonilla gana el Biblioteca Breve con 'Los príncipes nubios'" [Juan Bonilla Wins the Biblioteca Breve with 'Los príncipes nubios']. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
19. Ramos Martin, Manuel (5 February 2004). "Mauricio Electorat gana el Biblioteca Breve con 'La burla del tiempo'" [Mauricio Electorat Wins the Biblioteca Breve with 'La burla del tiempo']. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
20. "Elvira Lindo gana el premio Biblioteca Breve con la obra 'Una palabra tuya'" [Elvira Lindo Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve with the Work 'Una palabra tuya']. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 7 February 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
21. "La escritora gallega Luisa Castro obtiene el premio Biblioteca Breve con la obra 'La segunda mujer'" [The Galician Writer Luisa Castro Gets the Premio Biblioteca Breve with the Work 'La segunda mujer']. El Mundo (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
22. "Juan Manuel de Prada gana el Premio Biblioteca Breve con 'El séptimo velo'" [Juan Manuel de Prada Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve with 'El séptimo velo']. El Mundo (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
23. "La escritora nicaragüense Gioconda Belli gana el premio Biblioteca Breve" [The Nicaraguan Writer Gioconda Belli Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
24. "Clara Usón gana el premio Biblioteca Breve" [Clara Usón Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. EFE. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
25. Riaño, Peio H. (8 February 2010). "El argentino Guillermo Saccomanno recibe el Biblioteca Breve de Seix Barral por la novela 'El oficinista'" [Argentine Guillermo Saccomanno Receives the Biblioteca Breve from Seix Barral for the Novel 'El oficinista']. Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2018.
26. Geli, Carles (7 February 2011). "Elena Poniatowska, premio Biblioteca Breve". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
27. Mora, Rosa (1 February 2012). "Una visión provocadora de la Transición gana el Biblioteca Breve de novela" [A Provocative Vision of the Transition Wins the Biblioteca Breve de Novela]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
28. "Rosa Regàs gana el Premio Biblioteca Breve" [Rosa Regàs Wins the Premio Biblioteca Breve]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
29. "Fernando Aramburu gana el Biblioteca Breve con 'Ávidas pretensiones'" [Fernando Aramburu Wins the Biblioteca Breve with 'Ávidas pretensiones']. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
30. Ayén, Xavi (9 February 2015). "Fernando Marías obtiene el Biblioteca Breve" [Fernando Marías Gets the Biblioteca Breve]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2018.
31. Geli, Carles (9 February 2016). "El Biblioteca Breve premia una distopía que prevé la caída del sistema" [The Biblioteca Breve Rewards a Dystopia that Foresees the Fall of the System]. El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
32. Pardo, Carlos (25 April 2017). "Buenas personas, malos personajes" [Good People, Bad Characters]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2018.

External links

• Premio Biblioteca Breve at Grupo Planeta