Mario Vargas Llosa Prize Opens in Spain with $100,000 Award

CÁCERES, Spain — The sixth edition of the Mario Vargas Llosa Prize for Spanish-language literature has opened its call for submissions, marking the first time the prestigious award will be held in Spain. The event will take place in Cáceres, Extremadura, from Oct. 22 to 25, 2025, with a grand prize of $100,000 for the winning author.

The competition, organized by the Cátedra Vargas Llosa, seeks to promote Spanish-language literature globally. Eligible novels must have been originally published in Spanish between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024. Authors are required to submit seven copies of their work by mail to Calle de Agastia 80, Madrid, CP 28043, with a deadline of May 15, 2025.

“The Cátedra Vargas Llosa is pleased to announce the opening of the call for the VI Mario Vargas Llosa Novel Prize,” the organization stated on its website, catedravargasllosa.org. The prize aims to foster cultural and literary exchanges between Spain and the broader Spanish-speaking world.

Mario Vargas Llosa, the Nobel Prize-winning author and namesake of the award, has long been a champion of Spanish-language literature. The prize underscores his legacy by encouraging writers from Spain, Latin America, and other Spanish-speaking regions to participate. “In times of immediacy and urgency, writing with literary ambition is a cultural balm, a testament to freedom of expression and grammatical excellence,” the organization emphasized.

The event in Cáceres is expected to draw submissions from across the Spanish-speaking world, further solidifying the city’s role as a cultural hub. The prize not only celebrates literary achievement but also aims to elevate the global standing of Spanish-language literature.