Semana Negra Awards Spotlight: A Roundup of Noir and Speculative Winners
Imanol Caneyada Litio, a prominent voice in contemporary noir, earned the Dashiel Hammet award for the best detective novel written in Spanish last year. Caneyada leads a roster of prize recipients featured in the current Semana Negra issue, celebrated in Gijón. The collection also honors Juan Tallón for a piece titled Masterpiece, which won the Rodolfo Walsh award for best nonfiction in the black-genre field. Other notable recognitions include Jose Manuel Fajardo for the Espartaco prize in historical narrative, Mariano Antolín Rato for the Celsius award in science fiction and fantasy with La suerte suprema, and Núria Bendicho Giró for Tierras muertas, which received the Memorial Silverio Cañada prize for a best first detective novel.
“What I’m feeling right now is disbelief. I’m so happy, but it’s hard to believe”, Caneyada remarked upon receiving the award. The jury lauded the book as a compassionate work set in a cruel world. The festival, one of the country’s premier events, unfolds during Black Week, and Caneyada expressed gratitude for being selected among a field of high-caliber candidates.
The ceremony opened with Mariano Antolín Rato’s La suerte suprema being named the top science fiction entry. Rato described his own work as a realistic novel crafted from everyday press materials, noting that while readers might expect speculative elements a la traditional science fiction, the genre has long aligned with realism since the 1960s.
In another moment of the evening, José Manuel Fajardo spoke with passion about his novel Hate, which earned the Espartaco prize during Black Week. Fajardo, a Granada-born writer, reflected on his long journey, recalling his first Spain-wide literary prize won at age 23. The event also featured Juan Tallón’s reflection on winning the Rodolfo Walsh Best Noir Nonfiction award for Masterpiece. Tallón described his work as a sculpture that speaks only once and emerges from the voices it reveals, aiming to capture the evolving meaning of what constitutes a work of art today while addressing the sorrows of modern art.
In the ceremony, Núria Bendicho Giró’s debut in the noir vein—named after the Asturian publisher Silverio Cañada—was highlighted for recognizing the contributions of Catalan writer Núria Bendicho. Bendicho expressed excitement at reaching this milestone and framed the moment as a tribute to her mentors.
Last year’s lineup placed Imanol Caneyada’s Litio at the forefront, earning the Dashiel Hammet prize for the best detective novel written in Spanish. Caneyada heads a list of award-winning authors in this Semana Negra issue held in Gijón. The roster includes Rodolfo Walsh’s Best Noir Nonfiction award recipient Juan Tallón for Masterpiece, Espartaco award winner José Manuel Fajardo for best historical work, the Celsius prize for La suerte suprema by Mariano Antolín Rato, and Núria Bendicho for her noir work that echoes the previous title. Tierras muertas earned the Memorial Silverio Cañada award for a debut detective novel.
“What I’m feeling right now is disbelief. I’m very happy, but I don’t fully believe it,” Caneyada stated while accepting the accolade for a book described by the jury as a compassionate portrayal amid a harsh world. The writer, born in San Sebastián in 1968 and now based in Mexico, conveyed her joy at being part of Black Week, calling the festival one of the country’s most important events and highlighting the surprise of being chosen among such a talented field.
The awards ceremony also highlighted Mariano Antolín Rato’s recognition for La suerte suprema as the best science fiction work, with the author noting the piece’s foundation in real-world material rather than pure speculation, challenging readers to rethink genre boundaries. The evening culminated with reflections on artistry, misfortune, and the persistent drive of writers to push the limits of what noir and speculative fiction can convey.
At the heart of Semana Negra’s celebration is a commitment to voices shaping contemporary crime and speculative storytelling, with winners drawn from a diverse set of backgrounds and languages. The event continues to draw attention from readers across the region, reinforcing the festival’s role as a benchmark for best-in-genre work in the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. [Cited from festival records and official announcements pertaining to Semana Negra 2024]