"El libro de Leticia (Novela de Capri)/Leticia´s Book (de Capri novel) by the Argentinian writer, Liliana Bellone, won first prize at the VI International Award for Exemplary Narrative Novels, called by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
The Argentinian writer, Liliana Bellone, has been announced the winner of the VI International Award for Exemplary Narrative Novels, called by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), based at the Ciudad Real campus, in which 532 titles participated. The winning work, El libro de Leticia (Novela de Capri), " blurs the boundaries between narration and essay, is deliberately hesitant, which has a pleasant result, explained one member of the jury, the Cuban writer, Abilio Estévez, a writer from Cuba, settled in Spain and considered to be one of the best playwrights in his generation. This time he considers that the title of Liliana Bellone "can be read as a beautiful tribute to literature".
Sara Manero Rodicio, also part of the jury and a writer, thinks that El libro de Leticia is true to Borgian tradition in which contours disappear and the universe acquires oneiric overtones. The author adds it not only blurs the frontiers of genres, but also skilfully covers meta literature, and even makes the story itself a new book of sand, without a beginning or ending, ever-changing, unique, where it is possible to find that Aleph which awaits those who know how to look for it".
Liliana Bellone was born in Salta, Argentina, although she is an Italian national on account of her father. She has been published in the genres of poetry, novels, tales, essays and plays. Among her most outstanding works are: Augustus, Premio Casa de las Américas de Cuba, 1993; Fragmentos de siglo (1999), Eva Perón, alumna de Nervo (2010), En busca de Elena (2017), Dafne y el crimen de la montaña (2019) and Puccini. La biografía americana, Editorial Verbum, Madrid (2019).
The other finalists of this sixth edition of the International Award for Exemplary Narrative Novels were: La habitación de Ella, by Salvador Galán Moreu; La ética de los genitales, by Juan Sebastián Rojas; El último viaje de Barry Finbar by Santiago Casanova; Potemkin al sur by Antonio Elio Brailovsky; El alma by Mar Busquets Mataix; El triunfo de Galatea by Ignacio Martínez Buenaga; and Zombie no by Alma López.
The International Award for Exemplary Narrative Novels was created in 2015 by the UCLM Faculty of Arts as a tribute to Miguel de Cervantes. To this, short stories from between 40 and 80 pages long may be submitted. The prize is one thousand euros in cash and the winner is published in Verbum Editorial, co-organizer of the competition.
UCLM Communication Office Ciudad Real, 24th of April 2020