awards

Uruguayan Author Fernanda Trías ‍Awarded Prestigious ⁤Sor Juana Inés de la⁤ Cruz Prize

Guadalajara, Mexico – Uruguayan writer ⁢Fernanda⁤ Trías has⁢ been honored with the⁣ Sor Juana Inés de⁢ la Cruz Prize for her novel El monte de las furias (translated as “The ⁤Mountain of Furies”),‍ marking the second ‍time she has received ‍the award recognizing significant ⁣contributions to Spanish-language literature. The announcement was made by the recognition jury comprised of Giselle Etcheverry Walker, ‌Patricia Córdova Abundis, and Julián​ Herbert.

The winning ‌novel, set amidst “descending mist and ​the fertile foliage,” features a narrative where bodies begin⁣ to appear in a woman’s garden, and ‌was⁤ praised by the jury ‍for “the rhythm of⁢ poetic language” and its ability‍ to “reconfigure the⁢ Latin American‌ narrative tradition through an remarkable feminine point of‍ view full of findings and‌ nuances.” they⁣ further highlighted the novel’s exploration⁤ of “the hermit life of a woman, her stark vision of eroticism and the emergence of ‌sinister human violence,” as well‌ as its ‌reconciliation of “female genealogies with the invisibility of work, ‍the ruin​ of the urban with the ⁣longing for the rural world, ⁢the⁤ joy of solitude with ⁢the drive of desire.”

The unanimous ⁢decision awards Trías $10,000, which will be presented on december ⁢3rd during the Guadalajara International Book ‌Fair, where Barcelona is this year’s guest ​of honor.

An honorable mention was also given to Argentine writer Adriana⁢ Riva for ‍her novel Ruth (Seix Barral), lauded ⁤for its “acuity ⁣and sensitivity” in addressing “the margins of the ⁢literary representation of female old age” and ​for “demystifying old age and sorority with light and luddism.”

Trías, ⁣a narrator, translator, and teacher,⁣ previously won acclaim for The roof, The invincible city, and You will not dream⁣ flowers. ‍However, ⁣she gained significant recognition with her 2020 novel pink ⁤dirt, which earned her the Uruguayan National Literature ⁢Prize, the Bartolomé ‌Hidalgo de la ⁣Crítica (2021), and⁣ now the Sor Juana Inés​ de la Cruz⁤ Prize, along with being a finalist for the U.S. National Book Awards. The jury commended pink dirt for its ability to “bravely ⁤look ‍into​ the void” while “tenderly treat[ing] the ‌central themes of the definition of humanity, such as ⁤illness, ⁢uncertainty, empathy and‌ pain.”

Trías joins⁣ a distinguished list of past winners including Angelina Muñiz-Huberman, Elena Garro, ⁣margo Glantz, Gioconda Belli, and Almudena ⁣Grandes. This marks the second consecutive year a writer from the Southern Cone has received the award, following ⁤Gabriela Cabezón Cámara of Argentina’s win last year. Argentina and Mexico are tied for the most ⁣awards⁢ received, with nine each.

Trías‌ expressed feeling “very moved” by the recognition ⁢on her social media channels, but has ‍not yet issued ‌a formal statement.