The Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja is a Spanish literary award. It has been given since 2001 by the publisher Plaza & Janés, which is part of Random House. The award is for an original, unpublished novel written in Spanish (Castilian). The prize was started in 2001 by the City Government of Torrevieja and the publisher Plaza & Janés. Its goal is to help the seaside town where it gets its name gain recognition both locally and internationally.

History

Financially, it was one of the most valuable literary prizes in the world, with the winner receiving €360,607 (more than $500,000 as of September 2011). From 2004 to 2009, a runner-up received €125,000; however, no secondary prize was given after 2009. The prize was awarded yearly, usually in September, on a date chosen by the award’s jury. The jury was always made up of Plaza & Janés’ chief editor, Nuria Tey; the Mayor of Torrevieja; and a group of writers and critics who changed each year. Originally, the prize was planned to be given every two years, but in 2003, it was changed to an annual award for a new, unpublished novel.

Like most literary awards in Spain, the Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja was open to all Spanish-speaking authors worldwide. Most of the books entered came from Spain and Latin America, especially Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. The prize focused on books in genres such as thrillers, crime/detective stories, mystery, and political fiction. Marketing and promotion were shared with Spain’s largest retail store chain, El Corte Inglés.

On October 2, 2009, the award was given for the first time to a novel written by two authors out of more than 440 books from Spain, Latin America, Europe, and the United States.