Evelio Rosero Wins Premio Tusquets

By María Elena Cruz -- Críticas, 12/15/2006

Colombian author Evelio Rosero received the Premio Tusquets Editories de Novela, announced during Guadalajara's International Book Fair (FIL), for his novel Los ejércitos ("The Armies"). According to the jury—which included Aurelio Major, Almudena Grandes, Alberto Ruy Sánchez, Francisco Goldman, Beatriz de Moura, and Alberto Manguel—the novel is about a "town being destroyed by an arbitrary and irrational violence, a topic that might seem stereotypical, but that is written with singular elegance and mastery, as well as drama." Goldman praised the novel, stating it was "a pleasurable read" and a page-turner. De Moura described it as a work that "turns everyday life into something epic"; Ruy Sánchez explained that the politics of the book are anti-war politics.

According to Rosero, who spoke to the conference via phone from Bogotá, Los ejércitos "takes place in an imaginary town that could be any town…subjected…to war, to the guerrilla's line of fire, soldiers, drug dealers…" The author explained that the book was conceived on buses and in bars, and that the anecdotes "are based on verbal testimonies and newspaper clippings."

Rosero is the author of seven novels, two works of short stories, as well as YA novels and children's books. He won second place of the Pedro Gómez Valderrama Award for the best Colombian novel for El incendiado (Planeta, 1988) and the Premio Nacional de Literatura (Colombian National Literature Award), awarded by Colombia's Minsitry of Culture. The Colombian writer is the first official winner of the Premio Tusquets; last year's contest was declared void. This year's prize consisted of 40,000 euros [US$53,000] (including the 20,000 euros from last year) and a sculpture designed by Joaquim Camps. Rosero's novel was chosen from 439 submissions, including 28 from the United States.

Los ejércitos will be published simultaneously in March 2007 in Mexico, Argentina, and Spain, and will available in the United States in April.