Prix Formentor

[Daniel del Real]

The recently revived Formentor Prize was awarded today to Italian writer Roberto Calasso. So far I've only found an article by El País but will try to look for some in English:

http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2016/05/02/actualidad/1462184563_337517.html

I've never have the opportunity to read Calasso but I've only heard praisals towars his work, fiction or non fiction (sometimes a mixture of both). Along with Claudio Magris he seems to be one of the two wise men left after the death of Umberto Eco.

After the prize's rebirth in 2011 the list of winners is very satisfying: Carlos Fuentes, Juan Goytisolo, Javier Marías, Enrique Vila-Matas & Ricardo Piglia last year. This is a how a literary prize starts to gain some weight and eyes from the international perspective.

 

[Stevie B]

Re: Premio Formentor 2016

The recently revived Formentor Prize was awarded today to Italian writer Roberto Calasso. So far I've only found an article by El País but will try to look for some in English:

http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2016/05/02/actualidad/1462184563_337517.html

I've never have the opportunity to read Calasso but I've only heard praisals towars his work, fiction or non fiction (sometimes a mixture of both). Along with Claudio Magris he seems to be one of the two wise men left after the death of Umberto Eco.

After the prize's rebirth in 2011 the list of winners is very satisfying: Carlos Fuentes, Juan Goytisolo, Javier Marías, Enrique Vila-Matas & Ricardo Piglia last year. This is a how a literary prize starts to gain some weight and eyes from the international perspective.

Daniel, who is eligible to win this award? With the previous five prize-winning authors all writing in Spanish, I assumed that would be a requirement, but that's clearly not the case since Calasso is an Italian author. By the way, I've never read Calasso, but I remember years ago that Tim Parks raved about his work. Parks, however, has translated Calasso so that may have increased his enthusiasm.

 

[Daniel del Real]

Re: Premio Formentor 2016

Apparently, authors from every nationality or language are eligible. In the early 60's, the prize was created by a group of editors with the purpose to provide a wider audience to literary scenes around the globe. At that particular moment, they focused on Spain, mainly because of the repression they were victims due to Franquismo.

Here's the complete note with more information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prix_Formentor

 

[Daniel del Real]

Re: Premio Formentor 2016

Premio Formentor de las Letras 2018 has been awarded to Mircea Cărtărescu

https://www.telecinco.es/informativ...scu-Premio-Formentor-Letras_0_2544150830.html

I really liked the description by the jury:
"Cărtărescu's ouvre integrates a unique narrative force, the evidence of reality, the cartography of memory, the creative energy of the dreams, the freedom of imagination and the impulse of desire"

 

[Daniel del Real]

Re: Premio Formentor 2016

Premio Formentor de las Letras 2019 has been awarded to the French writer Annie Ernaux.

https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/05/06/actualidad/1557139278_217760.html

Although she has been present in the french literary panorama for a while, she has emerged lately, cited by many as one of the many ideological sources of les gilets jaunes.
I haven'te read her so I guess it would be a good oportunitiy to do it.

 

[Bartleby]

I've been meaning to read The Years for a while now, since it appeared to some glowing reviews, way before the man booker nomination, and I didn't know anything about this author, nor did I look her up, I just knew about the book itself. Now I still want to read this particular book, but since MBI and the many articles discussing the author, that one might be the only book I'm reading by her... Just personal choice really, some books of her they singled out just did not appeal to me, kinda of turned me off actually...

 

[Daniel del Real]

El Premio Formentor de las Letras 2020 has been awarded to the Dutch writer Cees Nooteboom

El nomadismo paneuropeo de Cees Nooteboom, premio Formentor

Para el jurado, el holandés es un escritor viajero que ha hecho del nomadismo una actitud filosófica, estética y espiritual que trasciende las fronteras y revela la naturaleza expansiva de los horizontes humanos

elpais.com

We cannot question the literary merits by Nooteboom, despite all his books I've read left me cold, unenthusiast let's say.
Also, this seems to be another European prize to award European citizens and honestly we have enough of them already.

 

[Daniel del Real]

Argentinian writer César Aira is the winner of this year's Prix Formentor.

Although he is not among my favorites he is a writer I've learned to like. Cumulative effect of his readings is always a plus. Also he is a very refreshing alternative against the literary establishment of exalted masters always trying to write the ultimate masterpiece and be praised for it.

El argentino César Aira gana el Prix Formentor

El argentino César Aira (Coronel Pringles, 1949) -acaso el autor literario más prolífico del mundo, con más de un centenar de libros publicados- ha ganado el Prix

www.lavanguardia.com

 

[Stiffelio]

Well, I've become a huge fan of Aira. As Daniel mentioned, his work has a cumulative effect, as if he had been writing a neverending novel since he started back in 1979.

This is the only piece I found in English

Argentine writer César Aira, Formentor award

The Argentine César Aira (Buenos Aires, 72 years old) is an author who amply accepts the adjective “rare”. To his

pledgetimes.com

There are many other articles in Spanish

 

[Daniel del Real]

This year's Prix Formentor is for the Russian author Lyudmila Ulitskaya. With Ucranian ascending and currently exiled in Berlin this becomes a very political prize (not saying she doesn't deserve it, haven't read her)

La escritora rusa Ludmila Ulítskaya, exiliada en Berlín por la guerra, gana el Premio Formentor 2022

La autora, cuyos antepasados judíos eran de Ucrania, ha recibido el galardón tras haber sonado en las quinielas para el Nobel de literatura

elpais.com

 

[Bartleby]

been meaning to read her. one more reason to.

thinking of starting with Jacob's Ladder, I just like the first few sentences

 

[Ludus]

This year's Prix Formentor winner is French writer Pascal Quignard:

Pascal Quignard, Premio Formentor de las Letras 2023

El escritor francés obtiene el galardón “por haber resuelto las dimensiones más inesperadas de la escritura”, entre otros méritos.

letralia.com

Finally a good excuse to read the books of him I have in my tbr!

 

[Daniel del Real]

Well, he is a good writer, a man who is also a philosopher and a musician, an author who in his narrative blends all kinds of genres and who exhales erudition in each word. However, I cannot stop thinking, another Frenchy? They just awarded Ernaux in 2019. Also, since they revived this award in 2011 it has always been European or Latinoamericanos.

 

[Daniel del Real]

El escritor húngaro László Krasznahorkai, Premio Formentor de las Letras 2024

El escritor ya había recibido el premio Man Booker Internacional en 2015. El jurado ha destacado “la potencia narrativa que envuelve, revela, oculta y transforma la realidad del mundo”

elpais.com

They keep awarding very good writers (mostly European unfortunately) and it'll always be good news to me since this means he will be in my town late November this year