Between fiction and memory, humor and melancholy, the work ‘El contrabando ejemplar’ chronicles the sentimental search for an explanation as to why Argentina has been the way it is since the 17th century.
The relentless search for an explanation of why Argentina is the way it is, why it did not become great, rich, or powerful, is central to ‘El contrabando ejemplar,’ the work with which Pablo Maurette (Buenos Aires, 46) has won the 43rd Herralde Novel Prize, worth €25,000, organized by the Anagrama publishing house.
At the award ceremony, traditionally held on the first Monday of November, after the comments from the judges, the author said: “I am very excited. This is the first time I have heard anyone talk about the book.” The winning novel will hit bookstores on November 26.
