The National Novel Award (Premio Nacional de Novela) is one of the main literary awards given annually in Bolivia. It is convened by the Ministry of Cultures, and originally sponsored by Grupo Santillana, through the Alfaguara publishing house. It was established in 1998 to promote the dissemination of Bolivian literature in the novel genre and better awareness of its authors.
All persons of Bolivian nationality who reside in the country, excluding authors awarded the previous two years, authorities, public officials, and Santillana employees, can qualify for the award. A jury composed of prominent members of the Bolivian and international literary and cultural world selects the winner.
In practice, it replaced the Erich Guttentag Award, which was organized by Los Amigos del Libro publishing house. Honorable mentions have been granted in some years.
In 2012, the prize was 89,300 bolivianos (). Of the total sum, the Ministry of Cultures contributed 22,800 Bs., the Embassy of Spain 21,000, Banco Sol 21,000, BBA Previsión AFP 10,500, Red ATB 7,000, and Grupo Santilllana with the same amount.
Winners
List of winners of the National Novel Award Year Novel Author Department 1999 La vida me duele sin vos Gonzalo Lema 2000 Alguien más a cargo Cé Mendizábal 2001 Magdalena en el Paraíso Tito Gutiérrez Vargas 2002 Ramón Rocha Monroy 2003 El delirio de Turing Edmundo Paz Soldán 2004 La gula del picaflor 2005 La doncella del barón Cementerio Eduardo Scott-Moreno 2006 El agorero de sal Luisa Fernanda Siles 2007 Fantasmas asesinos Wilmer Urrelo 2008 La toma del manuscrito Sebastián Antezana - 2009 He de morir de cosas así Eduardo Scott-Moreno 2010 La noche como un ala Máximo Pacheco Balanza 2011 Diario secreto Claudio Ferrufino-Coqueugniot 2012 En el fondo tu ausencia Rosario Barahona 2013 Pasado por sal Cé Mendizábal 2014 El sonido de la H Magela Baudoin - 2015 La Guerra del Papel Oswaldo Calatayud 2017 Soundtrack; glosario de términos relacionados 2018 Días detenidos Guillermo Augusto Ruiz Plaza
List of Honorable Mentions Year Novel Author Department 1999 Altiplano Express Juan de Recacoechea 2000 Huesos y cenizas Máximo Pacheco Balanza 2003 Periférica Blvd. 2006 Retrato de ciudad con calavera en mano Máximo Pacheco Balanza 2007 Los ingenuos Verónica Ormachea Gutiérrez 2007 Mundo puto Roberto Cuevas 2008 La virgen de los deseos Néstor Taboada Terán 2010 Lluvia de piedra 2017 La ceguera del jaguar
See also Yolanda Bedregal National Poetry Award
References