Rafael Chirbes wins Spain's National Critics Prize

Spanish author Rafael Chirbes has recently been awarded Spain’s National Critic’s Prize for his novel Crematorio, which, according to Ángel Basanto of El Mundo, “takes on shady business dealings perpetrated by the outrageous capitalism of recent years with bravery and clarity, and delves into the intimate and painful paradoxes and contradictions of contemporary human beings.”

José María Pozuelo Yvancos of ABC describes Chirbes as “an author who has been on the verge of receiving the award many times and who should have received it before, for a body of work that is, above all, outstandingly coherent and honest. Through his writing Chirbes has created a narrative frieze that tells the complete story of an epoch of Spanish history…in Crematorio the themes that have been constant in his work resurface: particularly an investigation of moral degradation, always served with a measured, careful and highly rhythmical prose.”

Chirbes is also the author of Mimoun, Los disparos del cazador, La buena letra, La larga marcha, La caída de Madrid, and Los viejos amigos.