Luis Alberto de Cuenca Wins Reina Sofía Poetry Prize

Luis Alberto de Cuenca (Madrid, 1950) has been awarded the Reina Sofía Poetry Prize, often referred to as the 'Cervantes of Lyricism', which the veteran poet secured unanimously. He is honoured for his 'profound literary erudition and a style that oscillates between philosophical reflection, exploration of classical culture, and personal introspection'.

With a poetic universe that is open and diverse, ranging from Callimachus to the Orquesta Mondragón, a lover of comics and pop, an academic and former politician, he describes himself as 'a clear line poet'. The prize, endowed with 42,000 euros, announced its 34th edition this Wednesday.

Awarded by the National Heritage and the University of Salamanca, it is the highest institutional accolade in the Hispanic poetic sphere. De Cuenca succeeds Colombian Piedad Bonnett, winner of the 2024 Reina Sofía Ibero-American Poetry Prize.

Former director of the Institute of Philology at the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) and the National Library, Luis Alberto de Cuenca served as Secretary of State for Culture in one of José María Aznar's governments and currently works as a CSIC Research Professor.

An expert and great connoisseur of the classics, he has translated works by Homer, Euripides, and Callimachus, as well as French authors like Charles Nodier and Gérard de Nerval. In 2010, he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of History.

As a poet, he has published 'Por fuertes y fronteras' (1996), 'Sin miedo ni esperanza' (2002), 'La vida en llamas' (2006), 'El reino blanco' (2010), and 'Los mundos y los días', a complete collection of his poetry, which reached its fourth edition in 2012. He is also the author of poetry collections such as 'Elsinore' (1972), 'Scholia' (1978), 'El otro sueño' (1987), 'El hacha y la rosa' (1993), and 'La mujer y el vampiro' (2010).

He already held notable awards such as the Critics' Prize for 'La caja de plata' (1985), the National Translation Prize for his version of the 'Cantar de Valtario' (1987), the Literature Prize of the Community of Madrid for his entire poetic work (2006), and the Julián Marías Prize for Research in Humanities (2013).