The Estepona Town Hall has announced that it will host the award ceremony for the VI International Poetry Prize 'Ciudad de Estepona' on 15 October. This year, the prize has been awarded to poet and translator helena mariño for her collection 'Mira la palabra cómo brilla'. The event is scheduled to begin at 20:00 in the Concert Hall of the Mirador del Carmen Cultural Centre and will include a performance by flamenco dancer alberto sellés, a rising star in the contemporary flamenco scene. Admission is free until capacity is reached.
The jury praised mariño's poetry for its ability to reinvent the concept of home as a refuge, embodying a sense of genealogy and future. They highlighted her writing, which embraces its roots and constructs a sense of community and shared space through a self-reflective language. The work also delves into the inexhaustible richness of literature and the infinite possibilities of reading.
The jury comprised poets miriam reyes and aurora luque; singer-songwriter ana fernández, known as La Bien Querida; writer felipe benítez reyes; marta fernández; mariano acosta, representing the Letras Corsarias bookstore; and manuel borrás, editor of Pre-Textos.
This sixth edition of the prize attracted over 2,200 submissions from across Spain and nearly all Latin American countries. Additionally, entries were received in Spanish from countries including Canada, Japan, Jordan, the United States, China, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Germany.
Born in Madrid in 1990, helena mariño is a poet, translator, and creator engaged in research on artistic languages and underrepresented narratives. She holds degrees in Law and Political Science from the Autonomous University of Madrid and in Comparative Literature from Complutense University. She also completed a master's degree in Creative Writing in Spanish at the University of Iowa, where she received a full scholarship. Mariño is the author of several poetry collections, including 'Este frío no es nuestro' (2019), 'Los bañistas' (2022), 'Podría poner el mundo' (2025), and 'Mira la palabra cómo brilla' (2026), which has won the Estepona prize. She has also translated 'Los hijos de enero' by Safia Elhillo, published by Visor Libros in 2022.
Her creative work explores intersections between various formats and languages, post-autonomous writings, and archival research. In 2024, she received a grant from the Ministry of Culture for literary creation to support the writing of her award-winning poetry collection. Currently, she is working on her first essay book, titled 'Las visitantes'. Mariño is also involved in the performing arts and has created the project 'Esta línea es un espacio recíproco de intercambio', which received support from the Madrid City Council's performing arts grants in 2023. Her work has been showcased in venues such as Matadero Madrid, La Casa Encendida, the Círculo de Bellas Artes, and the Reina Sofía Museum, as well as in specialised festivals. She has conducted writing workshops and participated in collective artistic research and creation projects.
The award ceremony will conclude with the performance 'Baile cantado' by alberto sellés, a flamenco dancer from Cádiz known for his significant contributions to contemporary flamenco. Throughout his career, sellés has received accolades such as the Revelation Artist Award at the Festival de Jerez and the first prize at the Spanish Dance and Flamenco Competition. He has participated in numerous performances, including 'Muerta de amor' (2024), directed by Manuel Liñán, and his notable creation 'Anairein' (2023), for which he was nominated for the 2023 Max Awards for Best Male Dance Performer. His performance in Estepona will add a dynamic element to an event that celebrates poetry, music, and dance, while recognising contemporary literary talent.
With this new edition, the International Poetry Prize 'Ciudad de Estepona' reaffirms its commitment to promoting poetic creation and highlighting new voices in Spanish literature, while establishing the city as a meeting point for authors, readers, and culture enthusiasts.
