Tag Archives: Colección Visor de Poesía

The 2015 LOEWE Poetry Prize, again in America

Cuban poet Víctor Rodriguez Núñez (Havana, 1955) has won the 28th LOEWE Foundation International Poetry Prize for his book despegue (take-off). The jury, integrated by Francisco Brines, José Manuel Caballero Bonald, Antonio Colinas, Óscar Hahn, Cristina Peri Rossi, Soledad Puértolas, Jaime Siles, Luis Antonio de Villena, and chaired by Victor Garcia de la Concha, has chosen a book which they found courageous, authentic, and able to link irrationalism with social immediacy. The LOEWE Young Poets Prize has been given to Carla Badillo Coronado from Ecuador (Quito, 1985) for her book El color de la granada (the colour of the pomegranate).

JoséManuelCaballero Bonald,JaimeSiles,SoledadPuértolas,VíctorGarcíadelaConcha,LuisAntoniodeVillena,EnriqueLoewe,JesúsGarcíaSánchez,SheilaLoewe,ÓscarHahn,FranciscoBrines,AntonioColinas-foto Álvaro ToméOn November 11, at the LOEWE Store in Gran Vía in Madrid, and after a few loving words remembering the recently deceased Carlos Bousoño, the names of the winners were made public in a ceremony attended by the members of the Jury and by Enrique and Sheila Loewe, Honorary President and Director of the LOEWE Foundation, respectively.

This year, 30 books have been finalists among the 801 entries submitted from 29 different countries, 27% of them from Latin America. The LOEWE Poetry Prize awards an unpublished work of 300 verses and a Young Poets Prize is given to a poet under 30.

Víctor Rodríguez Núñez

Luis Antonio de Villena began his presentation of the awarded book, despegue, highlighting the importance of Cuba “as one of the most important creation places for the Spanish language”. He explained how the origin of Víctor Rodríguez Núñez -born in Havana and currently living in the United States- has influenced his “criticism towards Cuban reality from an outside point of view” and the “communicative and baroque protest in this book in face of a world that must ‘take-off’. His deep knowledge on poetic tradition allows him to renovate and “to play with the shadow of a sonnet”, in words of Luis Antonio de Villena.

Carla Badillo Coronado-foto Mark Alvarez

Poet Antonio Colinas emphasised the “maturity” of Carla Badillo Coronado and her poetry. To him, her verses mean a public defense addressing symbology in a quite complex perspective for her age. The struggle of the pairing life-death and a “subtle skepticism that shakes the reader both forcefully and directly”, creates “a book that makes us feel and think about the limits of life, always with an extraordinary expressive sobriety”.

Next March the members of the Jury will meet the poets at the Prize Ceremony and the presentation of their books, which will be published by Visor publishing house.

Photographs: José Manuel Caballero Bonald, Jaime Siles, Víctor García de la Concha, Soledad Puértolas, Luis Antonio de Villena, Enrique Loewe, Chus Visor, Sheila Loewe, Óscar Hahn, Francisco Brines and Antonio Colinas © Álvaro Tomé for LOEWE Foundation, 2015. Víctor Rodríguez Núñez © Katherine M Hedeen and Carla Badillo Coronado © Mark Álvarez.

From the other side of the Atlantic

Los ganadores María Gómez Lara y Óscar Hahn

“Loewe dares to honor what is neither trendy nor out of style”. Recognition, gratitude and respect for literature at its finest, distilled the words of Chilean poet Óscar Hahn (Iquique, 1938) as he received his Award.

The XXVII Loewe Foundation International Poetry Award announced the verdict of the Jury last November; months later, having the poems published by Editorial Visor, the winners met with the Jury and a selective group of guests related to literature, fashion, design and all the artistic areas that build the cultural activity of the Loewe Foundation. The Westin Palace Hotel, as every year, hosts the great festival of poetry.

Hahn&Edwards

Hahn’s intervention was a hymn to the courage and perseverance of the Loewe Foundation in supporting poetic creation. He defined poetry as “a higher form of luxury, not meaning sumptuousness, but a unique and intense experience” although it is considered as “the poorest variant of literature; poor in sales but rich in attributes of the human condition”.

MariaGomezLara

Chilean writer Jorge Edwards presented Los espejos comunicantes by Óscar Hahn in a brilliant speech comparing poetry as a chain bringing distant times and names together; he explained that “prestigious poetry always has some prophetic condition.”

Colombian María Gómez Lara (Bogotá, 1989) received, grateful, the Young Creation Award for her book Contratono, which was presented by Antonio Lucas, previous winner of the Loewe Award. Using lucid words and emphasizing “the powerful voice” found in the verses of the young poet, he said that her work is full of “maturity but also full of surprise”. Moreover, her book shows that “she knows the best tradition of poetry”.

Sheila Loewe -Director of Foundation- and her father Enrique Loewe -President of Honor- embraced the attendees from the podium with the complicity of those who know they are surrounded by friends. They were openly pleased with their completed task.

XXVII Foto de familia

Enrique Loewe honestly appreciated the involvement of poet Pablo García Baena, who has decided that this will be his last participation as Jury of the Loewe Award, due to personal reasons.

Modesto Lomba y Enrique Loewe

Mr. Loewe also publicly showed his support and satisfaction with the new course taken by the Loewe Foundation, now led by her daughter. “Sheila and her team,” he said, “bring me serenity”.

This is the first time that the two Loewe Poetry Awards go to Latin American poets. The Loewe Foundation, satisfied by the strong ties that our common language provided, celebrates the arrival of two beautiful books of poems from across the Atlantic.

Poetry, once again, has demonstrated its ability to build bridges when genuine, calm and unprejudiced voice is risen.

Photographs: María Gómez Lara and Óscar Hahn; Ó. Hahn recives his Award with Jorge Edwards; M. Gómez Lara and Antonio Lucas; Sheila Loewe, J. Edwards, Ó. Hahn, M. Gómez Lara, A. Lucas and Enrique Loewe; E. Loewe with Modesto Lomba © Fundación Loewe, 2015.

Awarded poetry

Welcome to the blog of the Loewe Foundation. We are happy to announce that our blog starts a full section for our English-speaking friends and colleagues. Here you will find information about our projects on poetry, dance, photography, architecture and design.

This post is dedicated to the Loewe Foundation International Poetry Award.
Since 1987, this Award has been reaching the best quality in poetic work written in Spanish worldwide. The verdict of the Loewe Poetry Award is announced every year in November by the Jury, and the winning books are officially presented next March.

LoeweJurado2014

Veteran poet Óscar Hahn (Iquique, Chile, 1938) is the winner of the XXVII Loewe Foundation International Poetry Award. His book –Los espejos comunicantes– brings two voices together, like a two-faced gaze. His poems show an intimate and retrospective thought, but also the idea of quotidianity that becomes tumultuous sometimes.

LuisAntoniodeVillena2014

The Young Poets Award was given to María Gómez Lara (Bogotá, Colombia, 1989) and her book Contratono. The Jury -chaired by Víctor García de la Concha and integrated by Francisco Brines, José Manuel Caballero Bonald, Antonio Colinas, Pablo García Baena, Antonio Lucas, Soledad Puértolas, Jaime Siles, Luis Antonio de Villena and Ida Vitale- emphasized her “fresh and undeniable poetry, warning of her as a promising poet”.

Among the 845 participating books, 39 were finalists from 32 different countries. More than two hundreds manuscripts were sent from America, filling our record book as never before. The Loewe Foundation International Poetry Award has been convened since 1987 to “encourage the quality of poetry written in Spanish”. The Jury rewards an unpublished book over 300 verses and concedes a Young Poets Award to a poet under 30 years old. Colección Visor de Poesía will publish both books.

IdaVitale2014As every year, the Awards Ceremony and the books presentation will be held next March, in Madrid. The 13th of November, Sheila Loewe -Director of the Loewe Foundation- welcomed both Jury and media as Víctor García de la Concha read the proceedings and verdict of the Jury.

Finally, poet Ida Vitale presented María Gómez Lara’s Contratono and Luis Antonio de Villena introduced Los espejos comunicantes, the awarded book by Óscar Hahn. The reading of selected verses from both books revealed, once again, the magic and uniqueness inherent in exquisite poetry.

Photographs. The Jury: Soledad Puértolas, Pablo García Baena, Antonio Colinas, Víctor García de la Concha, Enrique Loewe, Ida Vitale. Luis Antonio de Villena, José Manuel Caballero Bonald, Jaime Siles, Francisco Brines, Jesús García Sánchez (Chus Visor), Sheila Loewe and Antonio Lucas. Luis Antonio de Villena presents Los espejos comunicantes, by Óscar Hahn. Ida Vitale presents Contratono, by María Gómez Lara © Uxío da Vila for Loewe Fondation, 2014.