The Premio Nacional de Poesía was awarded on 15 September 2026 to the Mallorcan author Sebastià Alzamora . Spain's Ministry of Culture honoured him for his book, published in Catalan in 2025, Sala Augusta seguit de Llengua materna (Proa). The national prize is worth €30,000; according to the official announcement, it is awarded by the Ministerio de Cultura and published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado.
According to the jury's citation, the book has a dual tone. The first part, Sala Augusta, reconstructs the memory of violent events during the Spanish Republic and the Civil War in long, free verse, through the story of a cinema in the centre of Palma, which served as a place of detention during the war. The second part, Llengua materna, turns to the figure of the mother and everyday experience in a more intimate, melancholic tone. The jury highlighted the work's formal range and the urgency of literary remembrance.
The Premio Nacional de Poesía is one of the national literary prizes awarded annually by the ministry. The rules provide for works in all of Spain's official languages to be considered. The award is decided by a specialist panel appointed by the ministry; the announcement is made by the Ministerio de Cultura. The procedure is documented on the state cultural administration's online platform and in the BOE. The award of the prize to a work written in Catalan underscores the multilingual commitment of the state literary prizes and reflects the equal treatment of co-official languages in the literary world.
Sebastià Alzamora, born in 1972 in Llucmajor has made a name for himself with poetry and prose. Many of his texts have been published in Catalan and translated into Spanish and other languages. The prize-winning book has already received literary honours this year, including the Premi de la Crítica de poesia catalana and the Cavall Verd. The national honour continues this run of success, bringing the impact of a work of remembrance initially rooted in the region into the Spanish-wide context.
The composition of this year's award is also noteworthy: for the first time in eight years, it has gone to a man. In terms of subject matter, the decision points to an ongoing literary engagement with historical memory, without endorsing any broader political interpretations. This year's prize thus highlights both the formal ambition and the thematic scope of the poetry honoured.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).