Crónica de un velatorio has won the first prize at the XII Short Story Competition in Illescas, which received over a hundred submissions from different parts of Spain.
On 25 October, Illescas celebrated the awards ceremony for the XII Short Story Competition, an event that continues to attract significant participation from the community. This year's edition received a total of 113 stories, with 33 coming from authors residing in Illescas, highlighting the local enthusiasm for the contest.
In addition to local contributions, the competition featured entries from the Valencian Community, Catalonia, Asturias, Andalusia, Galicia, Castilla-La Mancha, and the Community of Madrid. Notably, the contest also included a submission from Uruguay.
From the total entries, 25 stories were shortlisted, leading to the selection of three winners in the general category and three in the local category. The first prize was awarded to the story titled Crónica de un velatorio, submitted under the pseudonym H.D.T., by Joaquín Conde Ugena. According to the jury's report, the story is described as “a narrative full of twists, absurd and humorous, set in an unusual location, which made us laugh, written with brilliant and elegant prose.”
The second prize went to the story Lentejas con piel de pimiento, submitted under the pseudonym Paz Mental, by Marta Burgos Tapiador. The jury noted that this story tackled a “difficult theme” but was approached in a unique way with an intimate language from a childhood perspective.
The third prize was awarded to Nieve, submitted under the pseudonym Agnesi, by Ricardo Cano García. The jury praised the author for enveloping readers in a bucolic tale that progresses to highlight the significance of everyday elements, using cultured and refined language.
In the local category, the first prize was awarded to Un olivo y un zarzal by Lizbeth Isabel Sorolla Henostroza. The second prize went to Bernardo Manuel Candelas Ballesteros for Entre el fuego y el silencio, while the third prize was awarded to Saudade by Santiago Nieto-Ríos.
The mayor of Illescas, José Manuel Tofiño, and the councillor for Education, Culture and Tourism, Carlos Amieba, congratulated all participants and emphasised the importance of literature as a transformative element of society, aiming for a more free, equal, inclusive, and feminist citizenship.
Prior to the awards ceremony, the Central Library's Conference Room hosted an oral storytelling session by Héctor Urién, based on One Thousand and One Nights.
