“Few authors in the Spanish literary scene, based on a firm commitment to their language, have managed to achieve such recognition worldwide.” With this phrase, the jury of the Spanish Ministry of Culture awarded the Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas to Galician writer Manuel Rivas, who was held in Seville on 29 October 2024. Manuel Rivas is the first Galician-language author to receive that national prize since its creation in 1984. This recognition underlines the importance of enhancing minority languages, which are essential for preserving cultural diversity. Prizes of this kind give visibility to linguistic realities often marginalised, showing how literature in minority languages can have a universal impact.
The comment by Manuel Rivas
During the press conference that Manuel Rivas held in the hotel where he was staying, he told some impressions following the prize received, a way to put at the center of the Galician tradition. The literature he writes in his native language, Galicia, becomes an act of resistance.
“This is a prize to share and not to compete. I was born in a rural environment, where only the Galician language was spoken. We were told that we spoke badly, but thanks to this oral tradition I was able to fly. I am very grateful to this form of resistance which is our tradition and our language.”
MANUEL RIVAS DURING PREMIO OSTANA 2019
Manuel Rivas won the International Ostana Prize during the 2019 edition and it is therefore a great emotion for us to know him as the winner of the Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas 2024, not only because this recognition enhances the work of the Ostana Prize from year to year, but above all because celebrating authors like Rivas encourages literary production in non-majority languages, emphasizing the richness of linguistic and cultural plurality.
Motivation of the 2019 International Prize to Manuel Rivas
In the world literature panorama, Manuel Rivas is a rare exception for his ability to handle language, for the authenticity, tenderness of his stories and the deep poetic resonance of his words. His books have attracted readers not only from the European continent but also from the American. His literary work is mainly in Galician. He founded several literary magazines in this language. Some of his works have been adapted to the cinema and have had great success. The variety and richness of the contents, originality, irony and solid expressive capacity characterize this author who has been able to spread a language and a culture all over the world. Skilled juggler of words, he knows how to combine childhood mythology with the reality of the everyday world, also trying out different literary genres without neglecting environmental activism. Winner of many awards, the Ostana Prize is awarded to him for his long creative career.
Manuel Rivas
Known for his social and environmental commitment, Manuel Rivas is one of the most representative figures in contemporary Galician romance. Started writing for the newspaper El ideal Gallego when he was only 15. He studied Information Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, and shortly after (1977) founded the first weekly newspaper written entirely in the Galician language, Teima and the monthly Man Común. After graduation he returned to Galicia and worked in the press, radio and television. He becomes deputy director of Diario 16 and head of the cultural section of El Globo. He also writes for Diario de Galicia and La voz de Galicia. All these commitments led him to win the 1991 Fernández Latorre Prize for journalism. From reportage, he then moved on to poetry, fiction and short novel, winning several awards including the Spanish Critics’ Prize for the short story book Un millón de vacas (1990) and the Prize of the Critique of Galician Fiction in 1994 for the short story En salvaxe compaña (1994). Rivas also writes successful novels such as O lapis do carpinteiro, El lápiz del carpintero (1998), based on a true story and translated into 33 languages, Thanks to which he also wins the Spanish Critics’ Prize and the Premio de la Asociación de Escritores en Lengua Galega, and catches the attention of Antonio Reixa who turns it into a film.
In 1999 he wrote a collection of thirteen sentimental stories written with an attentive, accurate language, in which reality and fiction are inextricably linked, entitled Ella, maldita alma. Among the later works we remember the stories of As chamadas perdidas, Las llamadas perdidas (2002) winner of the Prize of the Critics, Contos de Nadal (2003) and in the same year Nosotros dos. In 2005 he challenged himself in the field of theatre with the opera El héroe. In 2006 he collaborated with the Italian journalist Giorgio Visciglia for an article on dictatorships. In 2009 he was elected member of the Real Academia Gallega and in October 2012, he was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by the Universidad de La Coruña in recognition of his defense and promotion of the Galician language and culture. With Feltrinelli he published the novel Il lapis del falegname (2000), the children’s book Il pirata testa pazza (2001), the collection of short stories La lingua delle farfalle (2005) and the novel Libri bruciano male (2009).
Writer, poet and journalist in both Galician and Spanish, Rivas is also an environmental activist: he was a founding member of Greenpeace in Spain and for several years held managerial positions in this organisation. His work was of fundamental importance following the Prestige oil disaster, participating in the creation of the Nunca Máis city platform. And indeed, the jury that recently awarded him the National Literature Prize for 2024 also recognizes his deep activism thanks to “a pen that, without indoctrination, moves consciences, induces reflection and stimulates reflection towards the defence of linguistic and cultural plurality and gender equality. Manuel Rivas, with a powerful and unique voice, creates literature and, with it, places the Galician writing again in the Olymp of national letters“.