The Cuban writer María Elena Llana became a candidate for the Miguel de Cervantes Prize 2026, the highest recognition in Spanish literature, making her the third known Cuban to aspire to this award throughout its history.
The nomination was promoted by Alejandra Giovanna Amatto, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and a jury member for the award representing the Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean, as confirmed by the official newspaper Granma.
Llana, 90 years old, reacted with emotion to the news in a phone conversation with the newspaper: she said she felt "very happy" and described the nomination as "the greatest honor" she could aspire to.
Born in Cienfuegos on January 17, 1936, the writer has over six decades of experience encompassing print media, radio, television, and news agencies.
He graduated from the Manuel Márquez Sterling School of Journalism in 1958 and published his first work, La reja, in 1965, a title that marked a milestone in Cuban fantasy literature.
Among his most recognized books are Casas del Vedado (1984), which received the Critic's Award, Castillos de naipes (1998), Ronda en el Malecón (2004), and Tras la quinta puerta (2014).
In December 2023, she received the Cuban National Literature Prize, the country's highest literary award, which placed her among esteemed authors such as Alejo Carpentier, José Lezama Lima, and Leonardo Padura.
With this nomination, Llana joins Fina García Marruz (1923-2022) and Dulce María Loynaz (1902-1997) as the only known Cuban women to aspire to the Cervantes Prize.
Loynaz is the only Cuban woman who has won the award, in 1992, and she is also the first Latin American to receive it.
Cuba has three Cervantes Prize winners in total: Carpentier, in 1977; Loynaz, in 1992; and Guillermo Cabrera Infante, in 1997.
The nomination of Llana comes at a time when the deadline to submit applications for the Cervantes 2026, which is awarded 125,000 euros, is set to expire on October 21, and the decision must be announced before December 10, 2026.
The award from the previous edition went to the Mexican Gonzalo Celorio, who received it on April 23, 2026, at the University of Alcalá de Henares.
The nomination of Llana reinforces what the state agency Prensa Latina described as "a curious continuity": the nearly constant presence of Cuban female writers among the candidates for the most prestigious award in Spanish literature.
Related videos:
Filed under: