Overview
- Juan del Val won the top prize at a high-profile gala at Barcelona’s Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, where Banzas was announced as finalist.
- Banzas traces the book’s origin to being hospitalized at age seven, when she read stories to a gravely ill girl, underscoring the value of hospital libraries.
- Set in Santiago’s former Hospital Real, the story blends suspense with a distinctly Galician gothic mood highlighted by juror Luz Gabás.
- The novel is scheduled to be published on November 5, following the author’s run of Galicia-set bestsellers.
- The finalist honor includes a €200,000 award and has prompted national praise, including congratulations from Vice President Yolanda Díaz.