The prestigious literary competition, held in honor of the poet from Oliva, Francisco Brines, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Generalitat Valenciana, the Diputación de Valencia, and the Oliva City Council, has seen significant participation this year. A total of 1,677 poetry collections were submitted, divided between the Valencian language category, with 125 works, and the Spanish language category, with 1,552.
Composed of prominent figures from the world of poetry and publishing, the jury faces the complex task of choosing the most deserving works. The Francisco Brines Foundation has expressed its gratitude to all authors for their trust in the award, emphasizing that the strong response confirms the vitality of poetry and the award's growing international reach.
The final verdict will be announced on Saturday afternoon via a press release. Francisco Brines, a member of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and a renowned university professor, was a key figure in Spanish literature, receiving accolades such as the National Award for Spanish Literature (1999) and the Reina Sofía Ibero-American Poetry Prize (2010). His masterpiece, the poetry collection El otoño de las rosas (1986), earned him the National Poetry Prize (1987) and shaped his style towards introspection and contemplation.
The great response received has confirmed the viability of poetry and the international projection of an award that grows each year.
In previous editions, the gala has been held in venues such as the Alfons el Magnànim Hall at La Beneficència in Valencia. In the last edition, Víctor Filgueira Meseres won in Valencian with La cendra espargida, while Henry Alexander Gómez took the award in Spanish with Diario para anunciar el fin del mundo. The event included musical performances and a colloquium with the winners.
