The awarded work, which comes with a prize of 5,000 euros, is described by the author as “a literary exorcism,” a text in which the narrator engages in a dialogue with the memory of writer Juan Gil-Albert, to whom Montalbán-Kroebel has dedicated the last four years.
The jury, chaired by the Deputy of Culture, Juan de Dios Navarro, selected the work from the 33 proposals submitted. Montalbán-Kroebel, a renowned playwright of Brazilian origin, explores themes such as the passage of time, death, identity, and his own vision of the current era, using the epistolary format to establish a boundary between himself and the figure of Gil-Albert.
“"It is an exercise in introspective writing: a collection of reflections, memories, and aphorisms through which the narrator, almost always resorting to the epistolary format, tries to differentiate himself and delineate the boundary between himself and the man he has studied."
The award ceremony will take place on November 19th at 6:30 PM at Casa Bardin. During the event, the laureate will receive the traditional statuette designed by Begoña M. Deltell. Additionally, students from the Óscar Esplá Higher Conservatory of Music will perform works based on texts from the previous year's winning book, 'Inexactos y verdaderos', by Raúl Ordás.
Subsequently, a colloquium on Juan Gil-Albert and his aphoristic literature will be held, with the participation of Montalbán-Kroebel, singer-songwriter Amancio Prada, and writer Itziar Mínguez Arnáiz.
Pedro Montalbán-Kroebel has an extensive theatrical career since 2002 and has a deep understanding of Gil-Albert's figure, about whom he published 'La fascinación de Gil-Albert' in 2006. He has received numerous awards, and his works have been translated into several languages.
