- The Mayor of Alzira, Alfons Domínguez; the Councillor for Culture, Israel Pérez; and the Marketing Director of Bromera, Sandra Capsir, presented the new edition of the Ciutat d’Alzira Literary Awards today, Monday, at the Gran Teatro de Alzira. The awards have been revamped in terms of their image and format, and entries can be submitted until 26 July inclusive.
Paqui Momparler Orta, presidenta of the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta, highlighted the 26th essay prize to be awarded by the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta. This prize aims to promote the creation and dissemination of literary ideas. In this regard, essays on any subject can be submitted, open to any field of thought (literary, philosophical, artistic, social, historical and political), of general interest and written in Valencian or any other variety of the language.
This year, the awards ceremony will be held on 8 November and will move to the Gran Teatro de Alzira in an effort to bring the awards closer to the city and to provide a more artistic stage format. The poet Vicent Andrés Estellés will be the guiding thread of a gala hosted by the actress and comedian Maria Juan and featuring the participation of artists such as Andreu Valor, Mireia Vives, Noèlia Pérez and Niuss. After the gala, the traditional Literary Awards dinner will also move to the city centre and will take place at the Círculo Alcireño, la Gallera. “A renewed commitment to culture and to give the Awards more impact than ever before”, says the mayor of Alzira, Alfons Domínquez, “because culture is the best vaccine against hate speech, and it has the power to bring people together”.
However, this is not the only new feature of this edition, as the Literary Awards are revamping their brand with a design developed by the Alzira design studio, Simbols, which aims to give the city a more prominent role. The presentation of the new format and brand aims to give a new impetus to the Literary Awards and seeks to involve the city and the towns of the region. For this reason, the traditional Cultural Days will continue to be held during the month of October and will be presented very soon.
It should be noted that, in this edition, there will be a special focus on the European Prize for Scientific Dissemination, which is now in its 30th edition and is sponsored by the Universitat de València, with a prize of 12,000 euros.
Awards and verdicts
Entries can be submitted in PDF format via the website www.mundoarti.com until 23:59 on 26 July for the following categories: the 36th Ciutat d’Alzira Novel Prize, worth €16,000; the Carme Miquel Youth Fiction Prize, worth €16,000; the 29th Vicent Silvestre Children’s Narrative Prize, worth €3,000; the 26th Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta Essay Prize, worth €8,000; the 19th Ibn Hafaja Poetry Prize, worth €5,000; the 19th Palanca i Roca Theatre Prize, worth €6,000, and the 9th Enric Solbes International Illustrated Album Prize, worth €6,000. Entries for the 30th Estudi General European Prize for Scientific Dissemination, worth €12,000, can be submitted until 15 September.
This means, as explained by representatives of the City Council, that the total prize money for the Ciutat d’Alzira Literary Awards amounts to €72,000.
Another notable new feature this year is that all the verdicts will be made public on the evening of 8 November, during the literary gala organised by Bromera and Alzira Town Council to present the awards. The winning works will receive the new Ciutat d’Alzira Literary Awards prize that evening.
Cultural events
The mayor of Alzira pointed out that the Literary Awards are accompanied by a month of cultural and literary events, which this year focus on the figure of Vicent Andrés Estellés. The programme will include a combination of recreational and leisure activities with conferences of social and cultural interest.
In this regard, it is worth noting the incorporation of new collaborators to the Ciutat d’Alzira Literary Awards, such as the Rex Group and the telecommunications company A proop. This year, Alzira Ràdio will also play an important role, broadcasting live some of the activities and talks organised for the PLCA.
Winning works in 2023
Today’s press conference also presented the works published so far for the 2023 edition: “Nascuts del fang” by Víctor Labrado, Novel Prize; “Autoretrat” by Albert Martínez, Palanca y Roca Theatre Prize; “Helena” by Jesús Mollà, Carme Miquel Youth Narrative Prize; “El pianista a l’armari” by Marià Veloy, Ibn Hafaja Poetry Prize; “La vall del tresor” by Mariano Casas, Vicent Silvestre Children’s Narrative Prize; “Terra endins”. “Pensar el futur des del poble” by Maria Josepa Payà, Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta Essay Prize, and “Un món magnètic”. “L’omnipresència dels imants” by Francesc Lloret, European Prize for Scientific Dissemination. “El monstre petorro”, by Paco Cholbi and Carles Arbat, winner of the Enric Solbes International Illustrated Album Award, will be published before autumn 2024.
See the full terms and conditions of the competition here:
