Today is the gala of the Planeta Prize, and frankly, a little frivolity does us good. I say this especially because you may have already filled your quota of articles about politics of dubious quality and judgment. Let us focus on the interesting: the gossip, the outfits of this writer and that journalist — at the gala there are many more journalism professionals than writers —; who went with whom, who wins the million euros and what stroll is in store for the new “finalists’ trophy” that Planeta has invented on the occasion of the award’s seventy-fifth anniversary.
This October 15 the display has been so tremendous that the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona is no longer sufficient to host all the guests, and they have descended that small hill where the building stands to relocate to Hall 1 of the Montjuïc Exhibition Grounds in Barcelona. In addition, the kings of Spain also make an appearance at the event; this, which might seem like an elegant accessory of recognition and visibility, is far more significant than it appears. The kings do not always attend the gathering and, on this occasion, they connect straight from Ceuta, with all that implies in terms of politics, territorial integrity, and institutional symbolism.
This year the prize’s monetary endowment is maintained, although ever since the Ministry of Transport had the peculiar idea of sponsoring a prize of identical amount with AENA, the reward no longer seems so exclusive or sky-high; therefore, I imagine Planeta will want to distance itself from the new accolade with a proper debut. The framework of the gala, as far as I know, has been structured for quite some time in a similar way, so I hope and trust that the editorial team’s numerous advisers will update the format as much as possible and extract a bit more value from the guests. The fifteen seconds of the photocall feel insufficient, I must say. A bit more etiquette, a touch of show, and stronger imagery would be interesting; after all, the sector is supposed to be a garden filled with creative minds. There are those who think that inviting an influencer who knows how to craft reels and has many followers already updates the matter and grants immediate access to the twenty-first century, but that is a mistake. The dynamics and the payoff must come from within, and the broad vision of the matter should transcend fashions. After all, haven’t we come to talk about literature?
Speaking of awards, and of books, you may know that the new Nobel Prize in Literature has fallen to the work of Anne Carson, a Canadian poet who holds a doctorate in Greek and Roman literature. Doesn’t it strike you as curious that Nobel laureates almost always have an excellent intellectual formation? I say this in contrast to other literary prizes and even to a good portion of our politicians, whose barren résumés frequently leave us astonished. The case is that Carson was awarded the Nobel for “her bold and innovative work, which, in playful dialogue with classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature”. In other words, she has studied, analyzed ancient techniques, and updated them with such deftness that she has generated something new. Isn’t that essentially what the singer Rosalía did? Carson herself wrote an article about her, admiring and recognizing her technique and vocal display. Yet we, who watched the videos of Rosalía’s early days on Tú sí que vales, where she struggled with pitch as if sadness were a holiday, know that such success comes from a lot of work and study. Yes, from studying and training, from applying multilingualism, pop, mysticism and orchestral command to new structures that, if necessary, are married even to an eighteenth-century cantata.
Will the winner of the Planeta Prize be one of these new voices, to study, follow, and admire? Hopefully, because the fatigue with mediocrity and vulgarity will also make us reluctant to any allegedly cultural display. In reality, at this stage most of us no longer want to know anything about prizes: we just need someone to do their job well and to uncover a brilliant needle of gold in this enormous shed full of straw.