Argentina’s Andres Neuman on Monday – considered among the most prestigious of its kind in the Spanish language – for “El viajero del siglo” (The Traveler of the Century).

Neuman, a novelist, poet and short story writer who was born in 1977 in Buenos Aires but has lived in the southern Spanish city of Granada since his youth, received a cash award of $175,000.

Neuman was also named to the Bogotá 39 a few years ago. I missed it the first time around, but (39 Latin American authors under 39) is looking pretty incredible a few years down the road: Andres Neuman, Alejandro Zambra, Junot Díaz, Antonio Úngar, Jorge Volpi… Wow.

(via: and )

Chiquita is described as being:

. . . elegant and filled with life, with a notable graceful narrative and an unrelenting imagination that unfolds like an immense musical score, and reveals the life and times of an extraordinary character, the lilliputian Cuban Espiridiona Cenda. A dancer and singer in the variety theatres of the early twentieth century, Cenda was known as a “living doll” on the stage. The novel is written as an aged Cenda dictates the story of her life to a journalist who is trying to unravel the truth from the exaggerated and extraordinary accounts of her life. Even though she tries to present herself as a great star, little by little shadow of her decadent past slips aside, revealing her disenchantment, her regression to freak shows, and the intimate drama of an artist who does not want to be written off as a mere circus anomaly. The novel reconstructs the variety theatres of the twentieth century at it the peak of its splendor, and attempts to resurrect a life, in all of its genius, cruelty and delight, of an unforgettable character.

Rodríguez was born in Ciego de Avila, Cuba, in 1956. He is a writer, editor and journalist, and has published many works for adult and child audiences. Along with the award, he received a gift of $175,000 and a sculpture by Martín Chirino, a prominent Spanish sculptor.

More info available (For those who read Spanish, that is.) And a list of past winners is available