Carles Rebassa wins the Sant Jordi prize with the dangerous infatuation of a waiter

BarcelonaCatalan literature received a healthy dose of self-esteem yesterday, which will carry it proudly at least until Sant Jordi's Day. The Night of Catalan Letters brought together a large institutional contingent at the National Museum of Catalonia—including the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa; the Mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni; and former President Jordi Pujol, among many others, and the absence of the PP, Vox, and Aliança Catalana parties—as well as representatives from the publishing sector, from major groups (Planeta, Penguin Random House, and Abacus Futur) and independent publishers such as L'Altra and La Segona Cultura. A successor to the Night of Saint Lucy, the gala was broadcast live on TV3, placing it, in terms of scale and scope, on par with the Gaudí Awards ceremony. The evening's deluge of accolades was largely theatrical and, above all, marked by a Mallorcan accent. One of the star awards of the gala, the Sant Jordi, went to Carles Rebassa (Palma, 1977) for Prometheus in a thousand waysThis is the second novel by the writer and poet, who debuted in narrative fiction in 2016 with It was them (Angle) and in 2018 Carles Riba already won the poetry prize with Dirty sounds"I'm delighted to have won these two prizes; it means participating in a tradition and giving it a place in the present and a hope for its continuation," Rebassa stated. The writer has a very long career and has received numerous awards, especially for his poetry, such as the Ausiàs March and Gabriel Ferrater prizes.

The Sant Jordi jury praised Prometheus in a thousand ways for "reflections on how romantic feelings make us lose our identity" through a story "that describes the world of work, marginalization, and the class struggle." The protagonist, the Prometheus of the title, is a twenty-something waiter working in Palma. "The novel speaks of a love that is lived in a dangerous, reckless, and carnal way," explained Rebassa yesterday, who added that this feeling "is capable of creating spaces, but also of destroying them." The book, which will be published soon by Univers, also has a social axis that portrays "the coexistence between masters and servants" and a key character, the city of Palma: "It is on the verge of collapse due to economic, real estate, and tourist speculation, and the opportunistic nature of the people who live there," stated Rebassa.

Call for self-determination

Upon receiving the award, the writer delivered a speech staunchly defending Catalan and launching a scathing attack against politicians. "We are here because we have a language, this language. We can make grand pronouncements, but without Catalan, we are nothing. The rest is outdated nonsense, and our enemies have known this for a long time. We must defend ourselves against the constant attacks on who we are. In the courts and in the streets, in the Senate and in Parliament, in the Catalan Parliament, but not only against us. We must have legislation that makes Catalan essential for living in the Catalan Countries." The writer added a twofold wish, quoting Guillem de Efak: "And may there never again be wars or fratricidal conflicts." And that if there is another war, we Catalans will win." This year, the prize has increased to €75,000 for the author and another €15,000 in advance royalties, making it the most lucrative award in Catalan literature.

The other star prize of the night was the Òmnium Prize for best published novel, which until now was awarded separately and comes with a prize of €25,000. It was won by Antònia Carré-Pons with The big family (Club Editor), the tender and moving story of two sisters who approach the family business and life in completely opposite ways. "This award makes me very happy, because the elation that fills me at this moment allows me to forget that we live in an imperfect world, full of injustice, inequality, perversion, and fear. Thank you so much for this happiness, however fleeting," said Carré-Pons, who noted the fact that of the 10 nominated novels, only two were written by women. "I would ask those who will make next year's selection to please ensure that men don't win by a landslide again."

Guilty Masculinities

One of the new awards added to the Night of Catalan Letters is the Àngel Guimerà Prize, worth 15,000 euros. The award recognized director and playwright Josep Ramon Cerdà i Mas (Palma, 1971) for his work. The second lineA science fiction-tinged story set in Mallorca during winter. "My influences were English theatre and The Twilight Zone"Cerdà emphasized. The protagonists of the play live in a vacant lot near a ghostly hotel. "They are the excluded from the tourist boom," noted the author, who added that the play "speaks of guilty masculinities and the possibility, or impossibility, of redemption."

The Lo Somni prize for new literary talent was also launched, which is endowed with 10,000 euros and was awarded to SandThe first novel by actress and translator Cristina Genebat (Barcelona, ​​1976). "It's the story of three Western women at three different ages: 12, 24, and 48. It deals with the stages of life they are in, the discovery of love, the exploration of sexuality, and the recovery from heartbreak," Genebat explained. The novel will be published on September 3 by La Magrana.

Another author who has been combining his theatrical and literary careers for years, Marc Artigau (Barcelona, ​​1984), won the 28th Mercè Rodoreda short story prize with This will be our wellThe jury praised the author's "skill and mastery" and highlighted that "these are stories that reflect back to the reader and address gentrification, bureaucracy, education, and migration." Artigau has been writing a story for the radio program "El mundo" on RAC1 for years, but until now had not published a collection. According to the writer and playwright, the stories are linked "by individual responsibility toward the collective" and feature characters "who aren't exactly good people." The prize includes a cash award of 6,000 euros.

The "clear, clean, transparent, and precise" poetry—in the words of the jury—of Jaume Coll Mariné (Muntanyola, 1989) received the 67th Carles Riba Poetry Prize, worth 5,000 euros. The winning work is Like leavesA book born from a very intimate connection with nature. In fact, the collection of poems begins with verses from the Iliad that remind us how humans and leaves are part of the same cycle. According to Coll Mariné, the verses draw "from a slight wonder at the world" and from the realization that "a person is not much more than a leaf in many ways, and yet, there is." Throughout the book, which is structured chronologically following the cycle of the seasons and festivals, the author reflects on the fact that "being there is highly improbable, but we are there, and we are supposed to do something about it."

Surviving through imagination

Alejandro Palomas (Barcelona, ​​1967) has won the Joaquim Ruyra Prize for Young Adult Literature, worth 6,000 euros, for the second time. The writer had previously won it in 2014 with A son And now he has returned, precisely, with a story that brings back the protagonist of that novel and which he has titled A truth"I revisited this character because something was missing. I wanted to talk about how a guidance counselor becomes unhinged and how her life matures through the eyes of a child," said Palomas. With this story, the author wanted to reflect "how three children learn to survive without making a drama out of life, because they have imagination." Palomas delivered one of the most impassioned speeches of the evening. The writer dedicated the award to all the teachers in Catalonia. "I know you're running low on energy and motivation. I'm with you, and you're right. Without you, the children of our country would be part-time orphans. Thank you for not giving up," said Palomas, who added: "Never stop fighting and demanding what is right. You are a fundamental pillar. If we don't succeed in our vocation, we will have arrived too late." The writer closed his speech by unfurling a banner with the message "No to war."

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation by illustrators Roser Capdevila and Pilarín Bayés. The artists took to the stage alongside one of the ceremony's presenters, Elisenda Pineda, and received a standing ovation from the entire Oval Room. Capdevila and Bayés presented the 63rd Josep M. Folch i Torres Prize for Children's and Young Adult Fiction, worth 4,000 euros. The award recognized another playwright, director and playwright Víctor Borràs Gasch (Barcelona, ​​1977), closely associated with the Teatre Nu theater company. Borràs Gasch won the prize with his first children's novel, Animals that fall from the skyThe story is about a little girl who spends her afternoons waiting to be picked up on the landing outside a hair salon. One day, a paper animal suddenly falls from the sky. "From then on, a creative connection begins with the mysterious being that brings it to her. It's a story that unfolds through actions, more than words," explained Borràs Gasch. During his acceptance speech, the writer made a point of promoting creativity. "It's not just the domain of those of us who dedicate ourselves to it personally. If it's shared and encouraged, creativity changes our immediate surroundings and makes them better," Borràs emphasized.

"Today we celebrate a festival, a commemoration that fills us with pride for who we are and who we aspire to be. We want to celebrate the extraordinary scope and power of Catalan literature," said Teresa Cabré, president of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, during her speech. Cabré added that the festival brings together "a series of awards to make Catalan literature even more visible, to showcase the strength of Catalan letters, to stand tall and move forward positively." Immediately afterward, Xavier Antich, president of Òmnium Cultural, emphasized that with this gala they hope "to expand the community of Catalan readers and increase book sales, because reading opens minds and hearts, fosters the use of the language, and connects us with all Catalan-speaking territories." Antich also stressed that "we need more books and more culture to be freer and more critical, because we aspire to justice, freedom, and beauty, and we want to do so in Catalan."

The Night of Catalan Letters aims to recognize projects that strengthen Catalan culture with the Joan B. Cendrós International Prize, worth 3,000 euros. This year, historian Paul Freedman was recognized for "his extensive career dedicated to the study of Catalonia's medieval past and its international impact." In addition, two other prizes for published works were awarded during the ceremony: the Vinyeta Ficomic, which went to The Pool of Angels by Berta Cusó (Pagès), and the PEN Català Montserrat Franquesa Translation Award to Ramon Monton for his work with Joseph and his brothersby Thomas Mann (Comanegra). Monton's speech stood out for its frankness and strong political undertones. "This act of promoting the Catalan nation is good, but there is still much work to be done; we have to get down to business. We have to do more for our rights. In our nation, we have another kind of war. It is an attempted genocide that has lasted for centuries and is now intensifying," said the translator. The 46th Muriel Casals Communication Award was given to the podcasts Tandem Club by Juliana Canet and Marina Porras and The back cover by Claudia Rius.

Palmares of the Night of Catalan Literature 2026

66th Sant Jordi Novel Prize

• Prometheus in a thousand ways, by Carlos Rebassa (Universe). 75,000 euros

1st Àngel Guimerà Prize for dramatic literature

• The second line, by Josep R. Cerdà (Barcelona Provincial Council). 15,000 euros

1st Lo Somni Prize for new literary talent

• Sand, by Cristina Genebat (La Magrana). 10,000 euros

28th Mercè Rodoreda Prize for short stories and narratives

• This will be our well, by Marc Artigau (Proa). 6,000 euros

52nd Joaquim Ruyra Prize for youth fiction

• A truthby Alejandro Palomas (Elastic Books). 6,000 euros

67th Carles Riba Poetry Prize

• Like leaves, by Jaume Coll Mariné (Proa). 5,000 euros

63rd Folch y Torres Prize for novels for boys and girls

• Animals that fall from the sky, by Víctor Borràs y Gasch (La Galera). 4,000 euros

39th Joan B. Cendrós International Award

• Paul Freedman. 3,000 euros

46th Muriel Casals Communication Award

• Ex aequo: Tandem Club, presented by Juliana Canet and Marina Porras / The back cover, by Editorial Barcino, presented by Claudia Rius

Awards for published work

Òmnium Prize for the best novel of the year 2025

• The big family, by Antonia Carré-Pons (Club Editor). 25,000 euros

PEN Català Montserrat Franquesa Translation Prize

• Ramon Monton by Joseph and his brothers, by Thomas Mann (Comanegra). 4,000 euros

1st Prize Vinyeta FICOMIC

• The Pool of Angels, by Berta Cusó (Payés). 2,000 euros