Fifty Five Books Competing for the National Prize at the Eduardo León Jimenes 2011 Book Fair

Fifty Five Books Competing for the National Prize at the Eduardo León Jimenes 2011 Book Fair
República Dominicana, Santo Domingo, 25/04/2011

There are a total of 55 entries in the competition for this year’s National Prize of the Eduardo León Jimenes 2011 Book Fair which will be awarded by the León Jimenes Group as part to the International Book Fair of Santo Domingo. This is the highest number of entries to have ever competed for this prize, which is evidence of not only the importance of this prestigious award for Dominican writers but also proof of the considerable growth of the Dominican literary scene.

“This record number of contest entries for the National Prize of the Eduardo León Jimenes 2011 Book Fair has given our company a great deal of satisfaction…

The selection of books in the running covers a variety of topics and ideas, among which are literary, historic, investigative and didactic works written by some of the Dominican Republic’s most renowned writers.

“This record number of contest entries for the National Prize of the Eduardo León Jimenes 2011 Book Fair has given our company a great deal of satisfaction as it shows the growing interest the prize is inspiring year after year among Dominican writers. It is also proof of the considerable literary development in our country where new writers are emerging all the time and whose talent and work deserve recognition and stimulation. This is indeed the precise mission of the prize as is part of the León Jimenes Group’s commitment to Dominican art and culture,” explained Stella León, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of the León Jimenes Group.

The jury, comprised this year of well-known intellectuals such as Jeannette Miller, Adriano Miguel Tejada and Jose del Castillo, will choose the grand prized winner from among the fifty five competing books. The winner will receive a cash prize of 450, 000 Pesos and an official certificate.

The awards ceremony for the National Prize of the Eduardo León Jimenes is scheduled for Sunday May 17th to be held at the XIV International Book Fair of Santo Domingo.

Each year the León Jimenes Group hands out this literary prize with the firm objective of supporting literary creation and contributing to the development of consciousness, the capacity for analysis and the oral and written expression of the Dominican population.

Last year, “Vivas en su jardín. Memorias” by Dedé Mirabal, was the prizewinner for 2010. In 2009, Hamlett Hermann won the prestigious prize for his book, “El Fiero. Eberto Lalane José.” The long list of Dominican writers to win the prize includes 1997 winner Marcio Veloz Maggiolo with his book, “Trujillo, Villa Francisca y otros fantasmas.” The following year, Amadeo Julián took the prize with his book, “Bancos, ingenios y esclavos en la época colonial.” “La metamorfosis de Makandal” by Manuel Rueda won in 1999. “Los Estados Unidos y Trujillo: los días finales 1960-1961”, by Bernardo Vega and “Al borde del caos” by Miguel Guerrero, shared the literary prize in the year 2000.

José Miguel Soto Jiménez’s book, “Los motivos del machete” won in 2001; “El ocaso de la nación dominicana”, by Manuel Núñez won in 2002; “Código de Trabajo anotado” by Lupo Hernández Rueda, took the prize in 2003; “El merengue: música y baile de la República Dominicana” by Catana Pérez de Cuello and Rafael Solano, in 2004; and “Cómo los americanos ayudaron a Balaguer en el poder en 1996” by Bernardo Vega in 2005. In 2006, the young author,Edwin Espinal, won the prize with his book, “Historia Social de Santiago 1863-1900.” Jeannette Miller was the winner in 2007 with her book, “Importancia del contexto histórico en el desarrollo del arte dominicano: Cronología del arte dominicano: 1844-2005.” Juan Daniel Balcácer won the honored prize in 2008 with “Trujillo. El tiranicidio de 1961.”

Cover of “Vivas en su jardín. Memorias,” winner of the 2010 Eduardo León Jimenes prize.