The Princess of Asturias Foundation

24 nominations from 19 different countries are in the running for this award, the fifth of eight international awards that are bestowed each year by the Prince of Asturias Foundation, and which are now in their thirty-second year.

Jury meeting for the 2012 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature ©FPA

The meetings of the jury responsible for awarding the 2012 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, the fifth of eight international awards that will be bestowed by the Prince of Asturias Foundation, will be held on June 5^th and 6^th. The awards will be bestowed this year for the thirty-second time in their history.

According to the Statutes of the Foundation, the Prince of Asturias Awards aim “to reward the scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanistic work performed at an international level by individuals, institutions or groups of individuals or institutions”. As part of this spirit, the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature shall be conferred on those “whose literary work represents a significant contribution to universal literature.

There are 24 nominations in the running for this Award from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, China, France, Guatemala, Holland, Ireland, Japan, Macedonia, Portugal, Rumania, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, United States and Spain.

Each Prince of Asturias Award comprises a diploma, an insignia, a Joan Miró sculpture representing and symbolising the Awards and a cash prize of 50,000 euros.

The Jury, which is to meet at the Reconquista Hotel, will be made up of the following members:

María Anson Oliart
Juan José Armas Marcelo
Xuan Bello Fernández
Blanca Berasátegui Garaizábal
José Manuel Blecua Perdices
Amelia Castilla Alcolado
Juan Cruz Ruiz
José Luis García Martín
Álex Grijelmo García
Manuel Llorente Manchado
Rosa Navarro Durán
Soledad Puértolas Villanueva
Fernando Rodríguez Lafuente
Fernando Sánchez Dragó
Diana Sorensen
Sergio Vila-Sanjuán
Román Suárez Blanco (secretary)

Members of the juries will hold an initial meeting with the media at 12 noon on Tuesday 5^th in the "Salón de Consejos" of the hotel (on the first floor), immediately prior to being formally convened and starting their deliberations. The jury will then elect a president from amongst them. The Jury secretary will be appointed by the Foundation.

Their decision will be made public at 12 noon on Wednesday 6^th in the Salón Covadonga of the hotel (on the ground floor), and jury members will then be available for interviews.

The reading of the jury’s decision will be broadcast live for more than 150 countries via the main national and international radio and television channels. The signal will be openly transmitted via Hispasat satellite (America and Europe). In addition, there will be a live Internet broadcast at the Foundation's website.