The 2026 Lleida Literary Awards will focus on the memory of the Spanish Civil War through a literary lens, celebrating the works of notable figures such as the writer Teresa Pàmies and poet Federico García Lorca. The awards will also honour the late writer josep vallverdú, who passed away in July. Pilar Bosch, the city’s councillor for culture, noted that this will be the first awards ceremony without him, and the event will begin with a tribute to vallverdú.
During the presentation, Bosch expressed her sorrow over the recent loss of poet Jaume Pont, who had been associated with the literary awards as a member of the jury for the Màrius Torres Prize in its early years. She remarked that “Catalan literature, particularly poetry from the 20th and 21st centuries, cannot be understood without him.” The city council plans to honour Pont in the coming months.
The awards ceremony on 20 November at the historic Seu Vella in Lleida will conclude a week of literary events aimed at remembering the 90 years since the onset of the Spanish Civil War, a period marked by significant suffering and the impact on the Catalan language.
Estefania Rufach, vice president of the Institute of Ilerdian Studies, highlighted vallverdú's legacy, describing him as “a magnificent man” whose absence will be felt during this year’s awards. She stated, “We will remember him for his drive, wisdom, and intelligence.”
This year, 88 original works were submitted for the awards, with 25 entries for the 43rd Josep Vallverdú Essay Prize and 63 for the 31st Màrius Torres Poetry Prize. Notably, one submission came from Japan, marking the first international entry for the essay prize. Other entries for the poetry prize were received from various Spanish provinces, including Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, and Asturias.
Rosa Mesalles, responsible for the literary programme, detailed this year's events, which will include two productions by the Lleida City Council. One will commemorate the 90th anniversary of García Lorca’s assassination, titled “No eran aceitunas, que fueron rosas...”, while the other, “De aquella guerra, de tantos exilios. Teresa Pàmies, the commitment and memory,” will focus on Pàmies, a significant chronicler of the Civil War and exile.
The literary week will also feature a discussion on spiritualism, a practice introduced to Catalonia by the family of Màrius Torres, which emphasised equality and free thought. As is customary, the week will conclude with the publication of the previous year’s winning works.
The jury for the essay prize includes Ignasi Aldomà, Anna Ballbona, Gabriella Gavagnin, Joan Roig, and Ramon Sistac, while the poetry entries will be evaluated by Josep Borrell, Teresa Colón, Àngels Gregori, Jordi Julià, and Anna Pantinat. The Lleida City Council and the Lleida Provincial Council, through the Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs, organise these annual awards to promote literary creation in Catalan. Each prize is among the best endowed in Catalonia, offering €9,000, and the winning works will also be published.
Details of the literary events scheduled from 16 to 20 November can be found on the Paeria website.
