Sebastià Alzamora Wins Spain's National Poetry Prize for 'Sala Augusta seguit de Llengua materna'
Sebastià Alzamora, a writer from Mallorca, has been awarded the Premio Nacional de Poesía for his collection titled Sala Augusta seguit de Llengua materna, which the jury hailed as a vital reflection on the human experience. The first part, Sala Augusta, narrates the story of a cinema in Palma that served as a site for Francoist oppression, paying tribute to the victims of the 1936 uprising. The second part, Llengua materna, contemplates the death of the poet's mother and the contributions of women in Mallorca's shoe-making sector. Born in 1972 in Llucmajor, Alzamora has an impressive literary portfolio and has garnered multiple awards. He takes over the honor from Miriam Reyes, with María José Gálvez chairing the jury.
Key facts
- Sebastià Alzamora won the Premio Nacional de Poesía for Sala Augusta seguit de Llengua materna.
- The jury highlighted his shift between historical denunciation and domestic intimacy.
- Sala Augusta draws on a Palma cinema that had been a Francoist repression site for republican prisoners.
- Llengua materna evokes his mother's death and women who sewed shoes for Mallorca's footwear industry between the 1940s and 1980s.
- Alzamora was born in Llucmajor in 1972 and debuted in 1994 with Rafel, a 775-decasyllable poem.
- He has also won the Cavall Verd Josep M. Llompart and Crítica Serra d'Or prizes this year.
- He succeeds Miriam Reyes in the prize's roll of honor.
- The jury was presided over by María José Gálvez of the Ministry of Culture.
Entities
Artists
- Sebastià Alzamora
- Miriam Reyes
- Miren Agur Meabe
- Yolanda Castaño
- Aurora Luque
- Olga Novo
- Pilar Pallarés
- Antònia Vicens
- Chus Pato
- María José Gálvez
- Jesús González
- José María Merino
- Gonzalo Navaza
- Miren Karmele Azkarate
- Vinyet Panyella
- Josep Martínez
- Juan Penalva
- Carlos Aganzo
- Luis Bagué
- Magis Iglesias
- Melani Penna
- Sabina Urraca
- José María Merino Sánchez
- Gonzalo Navaza Blanco
- Miren Karmele Azkarate Villar
- Josep Martínez Pérez
- Luis Bagué Quílez
- Melani Penna Tosso
- Sabina Urraca García
- María José Gálvez Salvador
- Jesús González González
Institutions
- Premio Nacional de Poesía
- Ministerio de Cultura
- Real Academia Española
- Real Academia Galega
- Euskaltzaindia
- Institut d'Estudis Catalans
- Acadèmia Valenciana
- Conferencia de Rectores de las Universidades Españolas
- Asociación Colegial de Escritoras y Escritores de España
- Asociación Española de Críticos Literarios
- Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España
- Instituto de Investigaciones Feministas de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- Universitat de les Illes Balears
- Premio Salvador Espriu
- Jocs Florals de Barcelona
- Premi Carles Riba
- Cavall Verd Josep M. Llompart
- Crítica Serra d'Or
- Premio Documenta
- Ciutat de Palma Llorenç Villalonga
- Premi Josep Pla
- Premi Sant Jordi
- Premi Òmnium
- Editorial Proa
- Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua
- Conferencia de Rectores de las Universidades Españolas (CRUE)
- Asociación Colegial de Escritoras y Escritores de España (ACE)
- Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España (FAPE)
- Revista de Arte - Logopress
Locations
- Llucmajor
- Mallorca
- Palma
- Spain