The City Council of Cerdanyola del Vallès and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona announced today the three winners of the 2026 literary prizes. Fiona Sarola Lozano (Girona), with the work Trenc d’alba, submitted under the pseudonym “Bartleboom”, is the winner of the XVII Caterina Albert Young Short Narrative Prize, endowed with €500. Josep Fàbrega i Selva (Calders), with the work Aprendre de lletra, submitted under the pseudonym “tAMMARRO sEGON”, has been awarded the XXXI Miquel Martí i Pol Poetry Prize, endowed with €1,000. Duna Corominas Pardàs (Sant Vicenç dels Horts), with the work El clau que sobresurt, submitted under the pseudonym “Lourdes”, has obtained the XXXII Valldaura – Pere Calders Novel Prize, endowed with €3,000.
This year’s edition received a total of 175 submissions, of which 48 competed in short narrative, 61 in poetry, and 66 in the novel category. The winning works will be published by the UAB Publications Service and presented in November in Cerdanyola del Vallès.
During the ceremony, Sergi Félez, member of the jury of the XVII Caterina Albert Short Narrative Prize, read the official verdict, stating that the winning work, Trenc d’alba, “is of extraordinary originality, immersive, and features a very powerful narrative voice”. The jury also highlighted its rich vocabulary.
For her part, Esperança Castell, member of the jury of the XXXI Miquel Martí i Pol Poetry Prize, explained that the winning work, Aprendre de lletra, was awarded for its literary solidity and ambition, as well as for the coherence between form and content. She also highlighted the use of well-crafted decasyllabic lines and assonant rhyme, structured in sixteen-line poems with a final closing verse, and the author’s remarkable lexical richness.
Finally, Núria Balaguer, member of the jury of the XXXII Valldaura – Pere Calders Novel Prize, stated that the novel El clau que sobresurt deserves the award for the originality and imagination of its plot, as well as for its combination of literary registers such as novel, poetry, theatre, journalism, and essay. He also highlighted its agile prose and plain language, capable of conveying the psychology of the characters in just a few sentences. According to the jury, the work explores the pain and uncertainties of life through a polyphonic interplay of voices and formats, weaving different stories into a cohesive and demanding yet addictive structure.
In the award ceremony, representatives of the organizing institutions also took part, including Virginia Luzón Fernández, Vice-Rector for Communication at UAB, and Carlos Cordón, Mayor of Cerdanyola del Vallès.
Journalism alumna Laura Serrat hosted the event, which featured a performance by a Renaissance music duo formed by Mireia Peñalver and Santiago Gervasoni.
Related blogs
