A total of 180 submissions have competed in this edition of the contest, which has established itself as a significant event in the literary competition calendar. The initiative, coordinated by poets Javier Gilabert, Fernando Jaén, and Gerardo Rodríguez Salas, is supported by the Churriana de la Vega City Council, the Provincial Council of Granada, and the Caja Rural Foundation.
The main characteristic of this award lies in its bidirectional approach, valuing both the quality of the poetic voice and the editorial commitment to the book's dissemination and design. This year's list of finalists presents a generational balance, combining authors with established careers with emerging voices born at the turn of the century, covering everything from classic lyricism to avant-garde languages.
Among the selected works are poetry collections backed by significant awards. Notably, Pablo García Casado's 'Cada uno es mucha gente' (Visor), winner of the National Critics' Award. Also featured is Javier Velaza, recipient of the Loewe Prize for 'Las ignorancias' (Visor), and Abraham Gragera, with 'La domesticación' (Pre-Textos), winner of the V National Poetry Prize ‘Meléndez Valdés’.
The roster of finalists includes Juan Herrero Diéguez, recent winner of the Adonáis Prize for 'Cartografía de nadie' (Rialp), and Carolina Otero, whose volume 'El día que dejamos de ver porno' (Hiperión) received the Valencia Prize. Andalusian poetry is represented by Antonio Luis Ginés, with 'Corriente invisible' (Bartleby), and Francisco Javier Guerrero, with 'Sanatorio' (Renacimiento), both finalists for the Andalusia Critics' Prize.
Female voices and young authors also hold significant weight. Marta Giménez Martínez presents 'El método Sherezade' (Torremozas), awarded the Carmen Conde Prize, while Josefina Aguilar Recuenco offers 'La eternidad menguante' (Pre-Textos) after winning the Juan Rejano Prize. From the new generation, William González Guevara (born 2001) contributes 'Cara de Crimen' (Espasa), the winning work of the ESPASAesPOESÍA prize.
The final verdict from the jury, composed of three prominent figures in current Spanish poetry, will be announced at the end of August. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 2nd, in Churriana de la Vega, which will become a poetic epicenter with a surprise musical performance.
