Altea Literature and Research Awards Gala: Highlights and Finalists

Palau Altea will host the Altea Literature and Research Awards Gala Dinner next Saturday, after spending two years at other venues and dates with reduced capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic.

These awards, regarded as among the Valencian language’s most prestigious honors, reach their sixth edition. A total of 131 works were submitted, with 9 eligible for the Francesc Martínez i Martínez Essay and Research Award, 45 for the Altea Prize for Children’s and Young Folk Literature, and 77 for the Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas Novel and Creative Prose Award. “The turnout is very high, consistent with previous editions and a testament to the strength of this contest,” noted Aurora Serrat, a member of the Altea Cultural Council, this Wednesday.

During the gala, Juana Frances will be posthumously honored with the Premi Estela d’Honor. Frances, born in Altea in 1924 and who passed away in Madrid in 1990, is remembered for contributions that have left a lasting impact on literature, art, and research in the region.

Altea Awards Estela d’Honor to Juana Frances

Celebrating the Altea Literary and Research Awards Gala is an event anticipated every Palm Sunday eve. The pandemic prevented this gala from taking place in 2020 and 2021, when prizes were awarded at alternative venues. This year, the event resumes at Espai Mirador del Palau Altea Center d’Arts, starting at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, as coordinator Joan Borja confirms.

Jurors

Last January 31 marked the deadline for submissions to these awards. Jurors from the various sections carried out substantial reading over three months, selecting the strongest candidates for their respective prizes, explains Joan Borja.

For each edition, the organization requests the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua to appoint an academic for each section. The winner of the previous year also serves as a juror, in line with the rules. For the Francesc Martínez i Martínez Assaig i Investigació prize, the jury also includes a member chosen by the Juan Gil-Albert Cultural Institute; and for the Altea Prize and the Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas Prize, a third member is drawn from University of Alicante experts.

V Premis Altea de Literatura i Investigació reaches the Centennial of Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas with finalists

Following this structure, Borja explains that Irene Ballester Buigues (Juan Gil-Albert, Alicante) will participate as a Jury Member for the Francesc Martínez i Martínez d’Assaig i Investigació prize. Jordi Bosch Canalias, a prior edition winner, and Angels Gregori i Parra (Valencian Academy of Language) round out the panel. The Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas de Novel·la i Prosa Creativa jury includes Elvira Cambrils i Miralles (previous winner), Joaquim Espinós Felipe (University of Alicante), and Carmen Manuel Cuenca (Valencian Language Academy).

12,000 Euro award and finalist works

The Altea Awards are presented annually by the Altea City Council with a total endowment of 12,000 euros. Allocation: 3,000 euros for the Francesc Martínez i Martínez d’Assaig i Investigació, 4,000 euros for the Children’s and Young Folk Literature Prize, and the Carmelina Sánchez Cutillas Award for Creative Novel and Prose is funded entirely by the Caixaltea Foundation.

The rules require three finalists in each category, with one winner. In the event of a delay, the Premis Altea organization ensures the event proceeds as planned. For the Francesc Martínez i Martínez d’Assaig i Investigació prize, a finalist selection highlights a well-documented study on the lineage of the lords of Xaló, a moving look at seventy years of Valencia’s history and society, and a defense of dietetics as a key component of understanding contemporary literature, according to Serrat.

Regarding the Altea Children and Youth Literature Award, Borja describes finalists as works rich in mystery and supernatural elements, exploring a timeless love, emotional manipulation, and themes of gender-based violence set against a Valencian backdrop where the narrator reconstructs memories through the process of writing the novel, a meta-literary frame.

Family photo of the Premis Altea winners in its fifth edition, with representatives from the municipality and other sectors. Diego Coello

Finally, for the Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas Prize in Novel and Creative Prose, Borja notes three selected works: a letter-driven novel with intrigue set after a war, an intimate diary framed with poetic reflections that challenge readers about fundamental human concerns, and a classic tale revising the idea of leaving civilization to seek nature, as a source of purity and meaning.

Institutions and tribute to Juana Frances

The Altea Literary and Research Awards have quickly established themselves as a premier feature of the Valencian literary circuit, guided by the Generalitat Valenciana and supported by the Altea City Council, the Caixaltea Foundation, Aila Edicions, the Juan Gil-Albert Cultural Institute, the Valencian Language Academy, the Enric Valor Chair at the University of Alicante, and since 2020 the General Directorate for Language Policy and Multilingualism Management.

Altea’s 2021 edition set a record with 160 original works submitted

Borja adds that the Estela d’Honor Award honors the memory and creative legacy of Juana Frances, a defining Valencian artist. This year’s gala promises to weave her influence into the evening’s aesthetics, guiding the event’s mood and themes.

Vanessa Gregori and the Blue Orchestra

During the gala, Aurora Serrat proposed projecting photographs of Juana Frances on giant screens and sharing details about her life and works, along with a literature-themed dinner. The culinary highlight will feature symbolic elements drawn from Carmelina Sánchez-Cutillas’ work, including the ceremonial presence of bread and melva as a nod to local tradition.

Live music from the Blue Orchestra, a bridge between classic jazz and modern big bands, will accompany the evening. The Altean ensemble draws on a regional musical lineage that preserves scores from the legendary Orquesta Azul between 1949 and 1963. Vanessa Gregori, a journalist from the regional channel À Punt, will host the event, continuing her role from previous editions.