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Pablo Maurette Wins 43rd Premio Herralde for ‘El contrabando ejemplar’

The jury praised a metafictional inquiry into Argentine identity that the author calls a “homage to plagiarism.”

Overview

  • Maurette’s novel prevailed in the 43rd edition of the Anagrama prize, selected from 892 submissions and awarding €25,000.
  • He submitted the manuscript under the pseudonym “Carlos Bernárdez,” a common practice in major literary competitions.
  • The book follows a young writer who seeks to appropriate a late mentor’s unfinished manuscript about a 17th‑century “contrabando ejemplar.”
  • Jurors Juan Pablo Villalobos, Cecilia Fanti, Gonzalo Pontón Gijón, Marta Sanz and editor Silvia Sesé lauded its humor, picaresque echoes and historical scope.
  • Anagrama plans to publish the novel on November 26, with some outlets reporting December availability.