The 34th edition of the Samaruc Awards was held this Saturday at the Centre Cultural La Nau of the University of Valencia, becoming a celebration of children's and youth literature in Valencian and the key role of libraries, authors, and publishers in defending the region's culture and language. The event, organized by the Official College of Librarians and Documentalists of the Valencian Community (COBDCV), focused on literary creativity and the need to generate cultural references for new generations.
The awards, established in 1993, recognized Fani Grande with the play Vull un mòbil in the children's category, a piece addressing the use of mobile phones and social networks among young people. In the youth category, the award went to Muriel Villanueva for El cel de l’aigua, a novel sensitively narrating the growth of an adolescent in Barcelona.
The ceremony also highlighted the recognition of prominent professionals in the Valencian library sector. Marina Calatayud Cuesta received the Librarian of the Year 2026 award for her career at the Generalitat Valenciana and contribution to the library system. Meanwhile, Carme Navarro Dolz was honored with the Honorary Librarian 2026 award for her work in coordinating reading clubs.
The president of the COBDCV, Teresa Gomis, emphasized the crucial role of public libraries in promoting reading and ensuring equal access to culture, as well as the responsibility to advocate for quality bibliographic collections and support the Valencian book ecosystem. She also paid tribute to the recently deceased Everilda Ferriols, former director of the Public Library “Pilar Faus” and the Valencian Library Nicolau Primitiu.
The event was attended by institutional representatives such as Albert Moncusí, Vice-Rector of the University of Valencia, and sector professionals like Manel Alonso and Juli Capilla. The Samaruc Awards, which have honored over 70 authors throughout their history, continue to solidify their position as a literary and library benchmark, with a notable increase in submitted works this year.
