We have not done to beg and in the same headline we have already introduced you to the winner of this latest installment of the Planeta Awards, Javier Sierra. Even so, we are going to give a little review of the evening of October 15.
This weekend the LXVI delivery of the Planeta Awards was held in Barcelona. This sixty-sixth edition has beaten the record in relation to previous years, with a total of 634 works presented of which only 10 would be finalists.
Like every October 15, the Palau de Congresos de Barcelona, wears its best clothes to give place to this annual contestl. Writers, journalists, editors, politicians and celebrities gather to find out who of the ten finalists will win the award and recognition of the evening.
Among them we were able to highlight the presence of politicians such as Xavier Albiol (president of the PP of Catalonia) or Miquel Iceta (secretary of the PSC). We also have the presence of Santi Vila (Catalan Minister of Culture) or Ana Pastor (president of the Congress of Deputies) among others.
Other guests who did not miss the gala were the journalist Julia Otero, the also journalist and writer Máxim Huertas and of course last year's winner Dolores Redondo. Risto Mejide and Laura Escanes, Boris Izaguirre, Alberto Chicote or Luis Piedrahita did not miss the event either. Even so, the lack of presence of some other guests was noted due to the current political situation.
The gala was presented by the journalist and presenter of the Antena 3 news program Ester Vaquero, who entertained the evening by announcing the votes that the finalists received during dinner. Through the scores received by the works, the guests made a pool. The winners would receive a batch of various works published by Planeta.
The jury composed of Albert Blecua, Fernando Delgado, Juan Eslava Galán, Pere Gimferrer, Carmen Posadas, Rosa Regàs and Emili Rosales As voting secretary, he did not have an easy time discarding works and finally choosing this year's winner.
The winner's award was endowed with 601.000 euros and 150.250 euros for the finalist. On this occasion, the jury's decision could be followed live from the web www.premioplaneta.es from 23.30pm.
These were moments of great anticipation until the winner and finalist were finally announced. And this, as we have commented before, was the result:
- Winning Work: The invisible fire, by Javier Sierra (under the pseudonym of «The artificial mountain», Victoria Goodman)
- Finalist: Fog in Tangierby Cristina López Barrio
Javier Sierra. photo: EFE / Andreu Dalmau.
On this occasion, Sierra's work, this time presents us with a philology professor from Trinity College (Dublin) with Spanish roots. When traveling to Madrid, he will find himself involved in a complicated plot of a study group in search of the Holy Grail. But the story will get more complicated the moment a member of the group.
But this year, not only literature has been talked about. This has been an edition very marked by politics. On October 14, a press conference made up of directors and part of the jury was held at the Sant Pau Modernist Campus. As could be foreseen, the press conference was very marked by the latest political events and his decision to move his headquarters to Madrid.
Josep Creuheras, president of the company, made it clear that the decision to change the venue was immovable. However, I assure you that the publisher intends to continue holding the contests in Barcelonto. In relation to the current conflict, Creuheras appealed to dialogue.
photography La Vanguardia
Finally, we remember the ten finalists of the Planeta Awards:
-The astronomer, Heinrich Von Kügel (pseudonym)
-That's because I'm hungry, Maria Eugenia Mayobre Jahn
-Penelope's new life, Bella Linardi (pseudonym)
-Part, Antolin Sánchez Lancho
-Broken women, Voli these povi (pseudonym)
-The island of the muses, Ricardo Pedreira Ulloa
-Hell under the skinJesus Miguel Martinez
-The artificial mountain, Victoria Goodman (pseudonym)
-In the shadow of a lie, M. Palma Medina
-An ugly charming, Eva Florence Benavidez