The Diputación Foral de Álava has announced that Mexican writer Alberto H. Tizcareño is the recipient of the 55th Ignacio Aldecoa International Short Story Prize for his story En el baldío, which is included in his collection El animal doméstico.
The jury praised the work for its “unity of universe” and its exploration of themes such as “domestic and community violence, helplessness, guilt, and the ambiguous forms of care.” They also highlighted the prominence of language, both that of childhood and the community, particularly valuing “the handling of orality and a prose attentive to the rhythms and registers of popular speech.”
Tizcareño's story was selected from 366 submissions for this year's award, which is one of the prominent literary prizes organised by the Diputación Foral de Álava. The jury for this edition included Antonio Altarriba Ordóñez, Sofía Balbuena Melgin, César Sánchez Rodríguez, María Fernanda Trías Patrón, and Carlos Yushimito del Valle.
The prize is worth €12,000 and includes the publication of the winning collection by the Fulgencio Pimentel publishing house.
Born in Mexico City in 1987, Tizcareño is a publicist and storyteller known for his innovative structures and a tone that navigates between realism and fantasy. In 2023, he received the José Alvarado National Short Story Prize awarded by the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León for his debut collection, Señoras. He made his novel debut in 2024 with Casas Caídas, published by Fondo de Cultura Económica / Fondo Editorial Tierra Adentro. His stories and essays have appeared in various magazines, including Nexos, Tierra Adentro, and Luvina in Mexico, as well as Revista ZUN in Spain. He holds a Master's degree in Creative Writing from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
The announcement of the Ignacio Aldecoa International Short Story Prize concludes the list of literary awards presented by the Diputación Foral de Álava through its Department of Culture and Sport. This year, the Ernestina de Champourcín Poetry Contest recognised Begoña M. Rueda and Maite López de las Heras in their respective categories of Spanish and Basque. Additionally, Mikel Utrera Puelles was awarded the Ignacio Aldecoa Beka, aimed at promoting literary creation in Basque.
