The writer, one of the fathers of Spanish crime fiction, wins the Carvalho Award in Barcelona.

Paco Camarasa is not here to deny it, but judging by the words of Carlos Zanón–superintendent at BCNegra–the Carvalho Award won by Juan Madrid (Malaga, 1947) must have been the easiest choice for the jury. “It took longer for him to pick up the phone than it did to make a decision on the award”, jokes Zanón hours before Madrid–Toni Romano's father and an expert of Malasaña hard-boiled fiction–picked up the award at the Saló de Cent, in the Barcelona Town hall. “No, seriously, when the jury met, the only questions were, ‘What? He doesn't have one yet?’

Because it's almost as if the award had been created just for him,” said Zanón. Next to him, Madrid, author of “Días contados” (Numbered Days), celebrates the award through irony, and after doing the math, he laments what receiving the award could mean for a 72-year-old author. “I think about it and I tell myself, ‘Fuck, I'm dying soon’”.

Read more: ABC