Mónica Rodríguez Wins the National Award for Children's and Youth Literature

The Asturian writer Mónica Rodríguez won the 2024 National Award for Children's and Youth Literature this Tuesday for her work 'Umiko'. The award, granted by the Ministry of Culture, comes with a prize of 30,000 euros.

The jury decided to honor 'Umiko' for "its sonority, mastery of registers, and the beauty of the story in this particularly brilliantly constructed universe through exhaustive research and documentation." The book stands out for its "ability to connect with the intended audience, capturing and engaging them from the start." According to the verdict, the "exceptional narrative quality" of the work "harbors an original, evocative, and dynamic story with a scent of the sea."

The jury praises Rodríguez's "literary ability to imbue her work with soul through her characters, with clear intergenerational references among women, and for the rich personality of her protagonist, who must discover herself at a time in life when existential concerns typically emerge."

"Writer and illustrator have achieved a perfect assembly—in a book that is also an exquisite object—to show us the Japanese breath that Umiko exudes, an oceanic world inhabited by the amas, women who practice the traditional profession of divers," states the Ministry in a communiqué.

Last year, the award recognized Patxi Zubizarreta, who joined a long list of laureates including Rafael Salmerón, Beatriz Giménez de Ory, Raimon Portell i Rifà, Juan Kruz Igerabide, and Ledicia Costas, among others.

Mónica Rodríguez was born in Oviedo in 1969. She holds a degree in Physical Sciences and a master's degree in Nuclear Energy. She worked for 15 years at the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (Ciemat).