Overview
- El simulacro de los espejos was chosen unanimously by an international jury from 474 submissions across 32 countries, marking the highest turnout in the prize’s 21st edition.
- The panel of jurors included Argentina’s Perla Suez, Guatemala’s Rafael Cuevas Molina, Venezuela’s Juan Antonio Calzadilla, Spain’s Fermín Goñi and Cuba’s Abel Prieto.
- Judges praised Battista’s novel for its Kafkaesque atmosphere and its portrayal of oppressive contemporary capitalist and authoritarian dynamics.
- Battista publicly defended the award’s transparency by citing his experience as a juror at Celarg and Casa de las Américas to counter accusations of political bias.
- He will receive €80,000, a gold medal and a diploma at the August 2 ceremony in Caracas, coinciding with the birth anniversary of novelist-president Rómulo Gallegos.