Javier Cercas triumphs with “an epic about a man in search of a place in the world” in Terra alta (High Earth), and Manuel Vilas inquires into “the deep affections, roots, and mystery of love” between parents and

children in Alegría (Happiness). 

Javier Cercas and Manuel Vilas, two heavyweights of Spanish literature, were honored with the Planeta Award, the largest endowment among all Spanish literature prizes on Tuesday night in Barcelona, which was still on alert due to protests over the sentencing of Catalan independence leaders.

After a few years in which the prize had turned towards nominations for mainstream genres and undoubted commercial appeal, the jury, composed by Alberto Blecua, Fernando Delgado, Juan Eslava Galán, Pere Gimferrer, Carmen Posadas, Rosa Regás and Belén López, opted for two luminaries of Spanish literature that enjoy a rare combination: great public success and recognition from the most demanding of critics.

Read more here: El Mundo - Cultura