PLANET 2024 AWARD - PALOMA SÁNCHEZ
The winner, who will receive a prize of one million euros, is the author of the novel "Victoria". The runner-up, the writer and journalist for EL PAÍS Beatriz Serrano, will receive 200,000 euros for her work Fuego en la garganta.
The writer Paloma Sánchez-Garnica (Madrid, 62 years old) has been awarded the prestigious Planeta 2024 Prize for her work Victoria, presented under the pseudonym Anna Ajmàtova. This new success consolidates her career on the Spanish literary scene, where she had already stood out as a finalist for the same prize in 2021 with her novel Last days in Berlin, The work captivated critics and readers alike with its historical and emotional treatment. With Victoria, Sánchez-Garnica offers a narrative that combines emotional intensity and a profound reflection on identity and memory, distinctive characteristics of her literary style.
The finalist of this 73rd edition is the journalist and writer Beatriz Serrano (Madrid, 35 years old), who has surprised the jury with her work Fire in the throat. At 35, Serrano already has a distinguished career in journalism, and his foray into the world of fiction has been received with great enthusiasm. Fire in the throat explores contemporary issues with a powerful and authentic narrative voice, earning him a place of honour in one of the most coveted Spanish-language awards.
The announcement of the winners was made on Tuesday night during a glamorous gala dinner in the Oval Room of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) in Barcelona, an event that brought together personalities from the literary, cultural and media world. The Planeta Prize, with a prize of one million euros for the winning work -a figure that even exceeds that of the Nobel Prize for Literature- and 200,000 euros for the runner-up, reaffirms its place as one of the most important international awards. Each year, this award not only rewards literary talent, but also highlights the impact of stories that inspire, move and reflect the great dilemmas of our society.
In addition to financial recognition, the Planeta Prize gives winning authors unparalleled visibility, which often leads to their works becoming international bestsellers. The gala, marked by the emotion of the speeches and the celebration of talent, also highlighted the competition's commitment to quality literature and its role in promoting Hispanic culture on a global level. Both Victoria as Fire in the throat promise to continue this tradition of success, attracting readers from far and wide and enriching the literary landscape with their profound and moving stories.
"Victoria", the winner of the Planeta 2024 Prize
At Victoria, the winning novel by Paloma Sánchez-Garnica, the writer from Madrid once again sets the action in Berlin, this time in the turbulent years after the defeat in World War II. The protagonist, Victoria, faces a complex destiny: from Berlin she must travel to the United States to work as a spy for the Soviets. At the same time, she becomes involved in an intense love story that will mark her life. On her return to Berlin, Victoria witnesses the construction of the Wall, an event that not only divided the city, but also symbolised the separation of the world for almost three decades.
During her speech, Sánchez-Garnica stressed that, although her novel is not specifically about journalists, it does reflect the crucial role of journalism in defending one of the most essential rights of a civilised society: access to truthful and contrasted information. Quoting the American journalist Edward R. Murrow, he underlined the relevance of this idea: «A country of sheep breeds a government of wolves», making clear the role that information and freedom of expression play in the balance of power.
For her part, the finalist Beatriz Serrano, a renowned journalist from EL PAÍS, surprised with Fire in the throat, a coming-of-age novel set in recent decades that explores dark and powerful themes. In this work, the protagonist, Blanca, possesses supernatural powers and rebels against the abandonment she suffered in her childhood, lived in a slum in Valencia. Serrano, who has already been awarded the Ondas prize for Best Conversational Podcast in 2023 for Arsenic caviar, co-written with Guillermo Alonso, has achieved great success with his previous novel, Dissatisfaction.
At Fire in the throat, Serrano delves into the complexities of Blanca's life as she seeks revenge and finds inspiration and refuge in controversial figures such as Charles Manson and the music of Joy Division. At a key moment in the story, Blanca murders a classmate who mocked her difficult family situation. This dark twist in the plot provoked murmurs from the audience during the gala, showing the impact that this play, loaded with symbolism and rawness, generated among those present.
Serrano expressed his surprise and gratitude for the recognition: “I never would have imagined getting here, it almost seems like a glitch in the Matrix,” he said with a laugh. He also revealed that the story of his novel was inspired by a quote from author Chuck Palahniuk: «If you haven't noticed, all my books are about a lonely person trying to connect with others». This quote perfectly reflects his protagonist's inner struggle to find his place in a world that, until then, had been hostile to him.
Both works, although different in style and theme, share a background of personal search and the impact of decisions taken in complex historical and emotional contexts, which explains their resonance in this edition of the Planeta Prize.
Resources and Images:
- Photo extracted from the RTVE video
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