At the Guadalajara International Book Fair, the Vargas Llosa Chair honored a career that blends journalism and literature. Juan Cruz, the Vice President of the Princea Ibérica organization, received notable recognition during the fair in Mexico over the last two weeks for his admirable, productive work spanning journalism and literary writing.
The award praised his pristine and transparent service to journalism across more than six decades. It credited him with defending two core freedoms essential to every democracy: freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The recognition also highlighted his steadfast support for informing the Spanish speaking community with courage and nuance from multiple editorial trenches, a role that has shaped public discourse in the region. The ceremony took place during the Journalism Biennial themed Facts at Threat in Guadalajara on a recent Saturday.
A life devoted to journalism and literature
Born in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, in 1948, Juan Cruz has built an extensive career as a journalist, writer, and editor. He studied Journalism and History at La Laguna University and began contributing to the press as a teenager, writing for the weekly sports magazine Aire Libre at age thirteen. He soon joined the editorial teams of La Tarde and later El Día, a newspaper closely tied to the Iberian press where he began his journalism journey. During that period, he also served as the Tenerife correspondent for La Provincia, an early precursor of the Prensa Ibérica group.
Over the years, Cruz became a founder who assumed diverse roles, including reporter in London, Head of Opinion, Editor-in-Chief of Culture, and Deputy Director. Until January of this year, he remained associated with Grupo Prisa, where he held positions such as Editor-in-Chief Coordinating Director, Communications Director of Grupo Santillana, and Director of La Oficina del Autor.
He also directed Alphaguara editorial and, as a novelist, earned several awards. Among them are the Benito Pérez Armas Award for a novel, the Oslo-based Azorín Award for a dreamers piece in 1988, the Canarias Literary Award in 2000, and the National Award for Cultural Journalism. He received the Comillas Prize for History, Biography, and Memories in 2009, acknowledging his contributions to literary life and historical memory. He has several notable publications spanning memoirs, essays, and fiction, including a personal record of experiences that blends journalism with intimate reflection.
His bibliography features titles such as memory-driven portraits, travel narratives, and explorations of identity and fame. Works include a sequence of memoirs and stories that reflect on public life, creative process, and the pressures of media culture. He has chronicled the rhythms of Canary Island life and the broader Spanish-speaking world, often centered on the intersection of journalism, literature, and social memory. Additional titles cover historical moments, portraits of cultural figures, and reflective investigations into the craft of reporting in a rapidly changing media landscape.
The year 2017 saw the release of a new volume from the publishing house Alfaguara, where he examined the lives of the people he meets and the stories they carry. His latest publication explores the figure of a prominent businessman and the social dynamics surrounding entrepreneurship in contemporary culture. The body of work demonstrates a sustained inquiry into how journalism and literature shape national and regional identities, and how personal memory informs public storytelling. [citation attribution]