For four decades, Cruïlla has dedicated itself to publishing books for children and young people, emphasizing the dual educational and literary aspects. Today, in these two areas—education and literature—Cruïlla maintains the same commitment to the Catalan language, culture, and education: in schools, through research and adaptation of new content, formats, resources, and pedagogical methods in its publications; in literature, with a deep commitment to quality, the promotion of reading among young people, and literary creation in Catalan. SM, through the SM Foundation, allocates more than €200,000 annually to the SM Literature and Illustration Awards. For more than 44 years, the SM Foundation has been committed to promoting reading as a source of learning and development for children and young people. It remains committed to quality literature that is engaging and entertaining while conveying human, social, and cultural values.
Two fast-paced novels for a read full of fantasy and adventure
Cruïlla publishing house awards David Nel·lo and Llorenç Capdevila in the 41st edition of the El Barco de Vapor Prize and the 35th edition of the Gran Angular Prize.
BarcelonaSpecialists are clear that the best stage to get hooked on reading is during childhood and young adulthood. For a boy or girl, being able to read is just a milestone that marks the beginning of a long journey that will last a lifetime. Young people who have a successful first introduction to books always want to repeat it and begin a journey that will transform them into readers. Curiosity at these ages is boundless and is accompanied by a wealth of discoveries, experiences, and learning that they can apply throughout their lives.
Since 1984, Cruïlla has been dedicated to publishing books for children and young adult readers, emphasizing both educational and literary aspects. Its catalog is designed to spark curiosity, learning, and creativity at every stage. The publisher, a cultural benchmark for children's and young adult literature in Catalan, has recognized the winners of the 41st edition of the El Barco de Vapor Prize and the 35th edition of the Gran Angular Prize. Only in the city, by David Nel·lo, and Jim and Janis, by Llorenç Capdevila, respectively. Both works, which have a prize fund of 11,000 euros each, are now on sale and will be recognized at the Cruïlla Awards gala, to be held on October 9 (7 p.m.) at the Fábrica Moritz in Barcelona.
The commitment to literary quality is combined with a fast-paced, easy-to-read approach. "Both stories have the ability to immerse you in a world of fantasy and adventure. Jim and Janis It is a novel set in the 70s that reflects on friendship, family absences and the meaning of life, while Only in the city It tells the adventures of a boy through a lonely Barcelona in the pure Robinson Crusoe style," explains Anna Pauner, executive editor of Cruïlla.
According to the jury of the 2025 El Barco de Vapor Award, "Only in the city It's a well-woven story about a boy surviving alone in a deserted Barcelona. With a brisk narrative pace and an engaging plot full of mystery and adventure, the novel offers a surprising ending that will captivate young readers.
Dante is an ordinary boy living a perfectly normal life in Barcelona, his hometown. One day, when he wakes up, everything has changed: the city is deserted, and people are floating inside giant, unbreakable green bubbles that have appeared in every square. Dante does his best to adapt to his new situation and seeks ingenious solutions to every new challenge that confronts him.
David Nel·lo Colom (Barcelona, 1959) is a writer, translator, and flutist. Although he began his training in classical music, he soon established a solid literary career that encompasses more than 40 titles aimed at audiences of all ages. Particularly recognized in the field of children's and young adult literature, his works have been translated into 13 languages.
"Jim and Janis "It's a gentle work that combines the nostalgia for a past filled with special moments with the hope of knowing that everyone can experience a true love story. The novel moves forward unhurriedly, but without slowing down, with balanced language that uses the epistolary genre and music as a vehicle to connect the current generation with the youth of the past," analyzes the jury of the 2025 Gran Angular Prize.
Summer begins, and Mitus is finding it incredibly boring, now that his best friend is leaving for Chicago. But the stroke of Uncle Jaume, that old and lonely relative he knows almost nothing about, turns his plans upside down. Now that his uncle is at death's door, Mitus will have the chance to get to know him better, and he will do so by entering his house and his secret room, which, among other treasures, hides a letter that has never been sent. Readers will accompany Mitus as he discovers his uncle and the story hidden inside that envelope.
Llorenç Capdevila Roure (Alpicat, 1969) is a writer and professor of language and literature at the Auro Institute in Santpedor. He holds a degree in Catalan Philology from the University of Lleida. He published his first short story in the university magazine Tirant al Blanc and has lived in Bages since 1994. He regularly contributes to publications such as Segre, The Hen's Well and Region 7.