In “Leonardo Padura recibirá el Premio Liber 2026 en la Feria del Libro de Barcelona,” Rialta recently announced that Leonardo Padura, the most internationally recognized Cuban writer today, has added to his many awards the Liber 2026 Prize for the most outstanding Latin American author. The prize is awarded by the Federation of Guilds of Publishers of Spain [Federación de Gremios de Editores de España] in recognition of his career and the international impact of his work. He will receive the honor on September 30 at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) as part of the Liber 2026 International Book Fair in Barcelona, Spain. Here are excerpts rom Rialta.
Cuban novelist Leonardo Padura has been awarded the 2026 Liber Prize, becoming the first author from his country to receive this distinction, presented by tin the framework of the Federation of Publishers’ Guilds of Spain (FGEE). The jury highlighted his ability to “tell stories that, based on research, delve into truth, guilt, friendship, and the weight of history on individual lives.”
[…] The award ceremony is scheduled for September 30 at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona, as part of the Liber 2026 International Book Fair. This event, which will take place from September 29 to October 1, is one of the most important platforms for the export and promotion of Spanish-language books, with the participation of more than 250 publishers and companies.
Padura, born in Havana in 1955, expressed his joy upon hearing the news. He emphasized that, unlike other awards, this is an honorary prize bestowed by institutions that “believe you deserve it,” which—in his words—makes the recognition “doubly satisfying.” The jury also praised the international reach of his career and the variety of genres he explores in his work. […]
Over more than two decades, Padura has garnered numerous international awards, including:
• Princess of Asturias Award for Literature (2015)
• National Literature Prize of Cuba (2012)
• Order of Arts and Letters of France (2013)
• Café Gijón Prize
• Dashiell Hammett Prize
• Barcino Historical Novel Prize
• Pepe Carvalho Prize (2023)
• Islands Prize [Premio de las Islas]2000
• Brigade 21 Prize [Premio Brigada 21]
In addition, he holds five honorary doctorates from universities around the world. [. . .]
Padura told the EFE news agency by telephone on Thursday that he is “satisfied” and “very honored” by an award that recognizes “Cuban literature as well” and which, he emphasized, is “the result of many years of work, of an effort I have made under very difficult conditions.”
The author said that books like La neblina del ayer [Yesterday’s Fog], Pasado perfecto [Past Perfect], La novela de mi vida [The Novel of My Life], Herejes [Heretics], and Morir en la arena [To Die in the Sand] have earned him recognition abroa— thanks to the Tusquets publishing house— but have almost always had very limited circulation in his own country. He also stated that “right now I am writing a new novel amidst all the electricity and water problems that exist in Cuba.” [. . .]
For full article in Spanish, see https://rialta.org/leonardo-padura-cuba-premio-liber-feria-libro-barcelona/
For article in English, see https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-08-27-u1-e208933-s27061-nid338900-leonardo-padura-gana-premio-liber-2026-al-autor
Also see https://www.instagram.com/p/DcikkWQjeEU/, https://www.diariolasamericas.com/cultura/otorgan-leonardo-padura-el-premio-liber-2026-al-autor-hispano-mas-destacado-n5401234 and https://letralia.com/noticias/2026/08/27/leonardo-padura-premio-liber-2026/