Premio Herralde Goes to Mexico’s Daniel Sada

by Aída Bardales -- Críticas, 11/1/2008 9:00:00 AM

On Monday, November 3, Mexican writer Daniel Sada was unanimously declared winner of the XXVI Premio Herralde de Novela, one of the most prestigious literary prizes awarded by a Spanish publisher, for his novel Casi nunca (“Almost Never”). The book tells the story of Demetrio Sordo, an agronomist leading a boring life on his ranch in Oaxaca, who must choose between two women: the prostitute Mireya and the distinguished lady Renata. Sada will receive €18,000 (approximately US$23,000) and his novel will be published by the renowned Spanish house Anagrama.

Casi nunca, which is set during the 1940s, has autobiographical elements; some of the characters are still alive. The author commented that he wasn’t sure what would happen when they read the work. A journalist by training, Sada is the author of 15 novels and the recipient of several literary awards.

The Premio Herralde runner-up was Peruvian Iván Thays, named one of the Bogotá 39 and the author of the literary blog Moleskine Literario, who wrote Un lugar llamado Oreja de Perro [“A Place Called Oreja de Perro” (Dog’s Ear)]. The book describes an introspective journey of a journalist who loses his five-year-old son and watches his marriage fall apart.

At a press conference, Thays said he began writing this novel “when he was young” and gave it new form after his wife divorced him and took their son with her. In all, Thays spent eight years on the book.

This year’s jury was made up by authors Salvador Clotas, Juan Cueto, Luis Magrinyà, Enrique Vila-Matas, and Anagrama editor Jorge Herralde. The winning works were selected from 244 unpublished manuscripts. Five finalists were selected; for the first time in the prize’s history, the other three titles, Carlos Busqued’s Bajo este sol tremendo (“Under This Tremendous Sky”); Tryno Maldonado’s Temporada de caza para el león negro (“Hunting Season for the Black Lion”); and José Morella’s Asuntos propios (“Personal Matters”), will be published in early 2009 by Anagrama.