Tigre Juan Award Explained

Tigre Juan Award
Awarded For:	Unpublished novella (1978–1989) Unpublished novel (2004–2007) First published narrative work (1990–2003, 2008–present)
Location:	Oviedo, Spain
Year:	1978

The Tigre Juan Award (Spanish; Castilian: '''Premio Tigre Juan'''|links=no) is a Spanish literary award created in 1977 in honor of the novel Tigre Juan. El curandero de su honra by Ramón Pérez de Ayala. It is awarded to the best narrative work in Spanish published in the preceding year. It has had different sponsors: the founders, the Cervantes Bookstore, the Asturian Center, the City Council of Oviedo (1986–2009) and the Tribuna Ciudadana cultural association.

History

The award was conceived with the aim of rewarding the best unpublished novella – regardless of whether the author was established or unknown – with input from Oviedo cultural figures such as, Juan Benito Argüelles,,, Belarmino Álvarez Otero, Jaime Herrero, and Pepe Grossi (who all joined the Tribuna Ciudadana cultural association which was instituted three years later).

It was presented for the first time at the Tigre Juan pub, located at Calle Mon No. 16, a meeting place for artists in the old area of Oviedo that was owned by Álvarez Otero, the award's first sponsor.

In 1986, the Municipal Culture Foundation of the City Council took over the award, expanding its monetary prize and providing it with an organizational infrastructure in order to achieve a greater national presence. Four years later the bases of the contest were modified in order to reward the best first published narrative work, and made the award into the first one that supported, in addition to the author, the publisher who was taking a risk on a writer's first work. Its winners were generally young (although the 26th edition was won by 74-year-old filmmaker and novelist José Luis Borau).^[1]

This second stage, in which the award achieved its greatest prominence, lasted until 2003. A new change in the bases led to awards from 2004 to 2007 for unpublished novels by established or well-known authors, but in 2008 it resumed the modality of awarding the best first narrative work in Spanish.

The first endowment of this award was 100,000 pesetas;^[2] the 2009 award was €54,000 (€40,000 for the author and the rest for the publisher). The award was canceled in January and was delivered in May of the following year during the Oviedo Book Fair. In November 2009, citing the economic crisis as a reason, the city council announced that it was suspending its financing.^[3] Now the prize – a statuette inspired by an engraving by the Asturian artist Jaime Herrero and representing the character Tigre Juan^[4] – is given in the autumn and has no financial endowment.^[5]

The award was given in 2010 and 2011 at the,^[6] and in 2012 at the Traslaburra restaurant in Oviedo.^[7]

Winners

• 1978, for Jonás (later published by KRK Ediciones)^[2]
• 1979, Luis Marañón for Ojos en la noche (later self-published by the author)
• 1980, for Jardín de Orates (later published by the Cervantes Bookstore and Ediciones del Serbal)
• 1981, for Otras mujeres y Fabia (later published by Argos Vergara)
• 1982, for Cosas de la transición (later published by Argos Vergara)
• 1983, Santiago Araúz de Robles for La agonía florida de Carlos Brito (later published by Argos Vergara)
• 1984, for La cruzada del perro (later published by Júcar)
• 1985, for El cadáver bajo el jardín (later published by Júcar)
• 1986, for El viaje del obispo de Abisinia a los Santuarios de la Cristiandad (later published by Júcar)
• 1987, for Sasia la viuda (later published by Júcar)
• 1988, Luis Sepúlveda for Un viejo que leía novelas de amor (later published by Júcar)
• 1989, Antonio Belmonte for La armada invendible (later published by Júcar)
• 1990, for Qué te voy a contar, Anagrama
• 1991, Francisco Casavella for El triunfo, Versal^[8]
• 1992, Enriqueta Antolín for La gata con alas, Alfaguara^[9]
• 1993, Belén Gopegui for La escala de los mapas, Anagrama
• 1994, for Cuentos de un escritor sin éxito, Pretextos
• 1995, Ismael Grasa for De Madrid al cielo, Anagrama
• 1996, for Los seres heridos, Ediciones Nobel
• 1997, for Fabulosas narraciones por historias, Lengua de Trapo
• 1998, Imma Monsó for Nunca se sabe, Tusquets^[10]
• 1999, Fernando Palazuelos for La trastienda azul, Lengua de Trapo
• 2000, Rodrigo Brunori for Me manda Stradivarius, Debate
• 2001, Pablo Tusset for Lo mejor que le puede pasar a un cruasán, Lengua de Trapo^[11]
• 2002, Manuel Moyano for El amigo de Kafka (short stories), Pretextos^[12]
• 2003, José Luis Borau for Camisa de once varas (short stories), Alfaguara^[1]
• 2004, for El sueño de Borges (later published by Algaida)
• 2005, Raúl Argemí for Siempre la misma música (later published by Algaida)^[13]
• 2006, Esther Bendahan for La cara de Marte (later published by Algaida)^[14]
• 2007, for Niños de tiza (later published by Algaida)
• 2009, Óscar Calavia for Las botellas del señor Klein, Lengua de Trapo
• 2010, for Bajo el influjo del cometa (short stories), Salto de Página^[5]
• 2011, for Diarios, 1999-2003, Pepita de Calabazas (finalist: Óscar Esquivias with Pampanitos verdes)^[4]
• 2012, Mario Martín Gijón for Inconvenientes del turismo en Praga y otros cuentos europeos, KRK^[15] (finalist: Pablo Gutiérrez with Ensimismada correspondencia, Lengua de Trapo)
• 2013, ex aequo: Marta Sanz for Daniela Astor y la caja negra, Anagrama and for La hora violeta, Mondadori (finalist: Yuri Herrera for La transmigración de los cuerpos, Periférica)
• 2014, for Contarlo todo, Mondadori (finalist: Selva Almada for Ladrilleros, Mar dulce)^[16]
• 2015, Samanta Schweblin for Distancia de rescate (finalist: for Sin música)^[17]
• 2016, for Nemo (finalist: Juan José Becerra for El espectáculo del tiempo)^[18]
• 2017, Pedro Mairal for La uruguaya (finalist: Juan Gómez Bárcena for Kanada)^[19]
• 2018, for Años de mayor cuantía (finalist: Pablo Matilla for La sabiduría de quebrar huesos)^[20]

Notes and References

1. News: Borau gana el Premio Tigre Juan de Narrativa por 'Camisa de once varas' . Borau Wins the Tigre Juan Narrative Award for 'Camisa de once varas' . Jesús . Ruiz Mantilla . . Madrid . Spanish . 20 December 2003 . 4 September 2018.
2. News: José Luis Mediavilla, premio Tigre Juan de novela . José Manuel . Vaquero . . Oviedo . Spanish . 19 April 1978 . 4 September 2018.
3. News: El Ayuntamiento suprime el premio Tigre Juan por culpa de la crisis . The Council Cancels the Tigre Juan Award Due to the Crisis . . EFE . Oviedo . Spanish . 21 October 2009 . 4 September 2018.
4. News: Iñaki Uriarte gana con 'Diarios (1999–2003)' el Premio Juan . Iñaki Uriarte Wins the Tigre Juan Award with 'Diarios (1999–2003)' . . Bilbao . Spanish . 8 October 2011 . 4 September 2018.
5. News: Jon Bilbao se hace con el Tigre Juan . Jon Bilbao Gets the Tigre Juan . Alberto . Piquero . . Meres . Spanish . 2 October 2010 . 4 September 2018.
6. Web site: XXXII Premio Tigre Juan en el Palacio de Meres . Palacio de Meres . Spanish . https://archive.today/20130411153535/http://www.palaciodemeres.com/noticias-detalle/21/xxxii-premio-tigre-juan-en-palacio-de-meres/ . 11 April 2013 . dead . 4 September 2018.
7. News: Martín Gijón gana el 'Tigre Juan' por sus relatos de una Europa 'secreta y humana' . Martín Gijón Wins the Tigre Juan for His Tales of a 'Secret and Human' Europe . Chus . Neira . . Oviedo . Spanish . 29 September 2012 . 4 September 2018.
8. News: Muere el escritor Francisco Casavella . The Writer Francisco Casavella Dies . . Madrid . Spanish . 17 December 2008 . 4 September 2018.
9. Book: Alatriste, Sealtiel . Cuentos de cine: grandes narradores celebran el primer siglo del cine . Film Stories: Great Storytellers Celebrate the First Century of Cinema . Santillana . 9788420428796 . 50 . Spanish . 1996 . 4 September 2018 . Google Books.
10. News: Imma Monsó aborda con la misma seriedad y respeto el cuento y la novela . Imma Monsó Addresses the Short Story and the Novel with the Same Seriousness and Respect . Juan Pedro . Yániz . . Barcelona . Spanish . 30 March 2004 . 4 September 2018.
11. News: Pablo Tusset, premio Tigre Juan de novela . Pablo Tusset, Tigre Juan Novel Award . . EFE . Oviedo . Spanish . 16 December 2001 . 4 September 2018.
12. Book: Jiménez Madrid, Ramón . El cuento en Murcia en el siglo XX y otros ensayos . The Short Story in Murcia in the 20th Century and Other Essays . EDITUM . 9788483716113 . 48 . Spanish . 2006 . 4 September 2018 . Google Books.
13. News: Raúl Argemí ambienta su última novela en la Argentina de la dictadura militar, 'un periodo terrible y traumático' . Raúl Argemí Sets His Latest Novel in the Argentina of the Military Dictatorship, 'A Terrible and Traumatic Period' . . Seville . Spanish . 6 May 2006 . 4 September 2018.
14. News: Esther Bendahan se hace con el Tigre Juan con la novela 'La cara de Marte' . Esther Bendahan Takes the Tigre Juan with the Novel 'La cara de Marte' . Susana . Neira . . Oviedo . Spanish . 16 December 2006 . 4 September 2018.
15. News: El escritor extremeño Mario Martín Gijón obtiene el XXXIV Premio Tigre Juan . The Extremaduran Writer Martín Gijón Receives the 34th Tigre Juan Award . EFE . Spanish . 29 September 2012 . 4 September 2018.
16. News: El peruano Jeremías Gamboa se alza con el Tigre Juan por su novela 'Contarlo todo' . The Peruvian Jeremías Gamboa is Elevated with the Tigre Juan for His Novel 'Contarlo todo' . Jessica M. . Puga . . Oviedo . Spanish . 26 November 2014 . 4 September 2018.
17. News: Samanta Schweblin gana el premio literario Tigre Juan . Samanta Schweblin Wins the Tigre Juan Literary Award . . Oviedo . Spanish . 26 November 2015 . 4 September 2018.
18. News: 'Nemo', de Gonzalo Hidalgo Bayal, gana el premio de novela 'Tigre Juan' . 'Nemo', by Gonzalo Hidalgo Bayal, Wins the Tigre Juan Novel Award . . Oviedo . Spanish . 25 November 2016 . 4 September 2018.
19. News: El escritor argentino Pedro Mairal gana el XXXIX 'Tigre Juan' con la novela 'La uruguaya' . The Argentine Writer Pedro Mairal Wins the 39th Tigre Juan with the Novel 'La uruguaya' . . Oviedo . Spanish . 13 November 2017 . 4 September 2018.
20. News: El premio Tigre Juan reconoce 'la memoria novelística de relatos' de Tomás Sánchez Santiago . The Tigre Juan Award Recognizes 'The Novelistic Memory of Stories' by Tomás Sánchez Santiago . . Spanish . 22 November 2018 . 11 January 2019.