Madrid. The Colombian Piedad Bonnett, poet, novelist and playwright, was awarded the Reina Sofía Prize for Ibero-American Poetry, a prestigious recognition that great writers of our language have obtained in the past, such as Claudio Rodríguez, Mario Benedetti, Álvaro Mutis, Nicanor Parra, José Emilio Pacheco, Claribel Alegría and the Nicaraguan Gioconda Belli, who won it last year.
This recognition, which has been granted since 1992, is made between two prestigious institutions in Spain: the University of Salamanca and National Heritage, the verdict of the jury of this edition was announced by the manager of this institution, María Dolores Menéndez, in which it was highlighted that Bonnett is “a current voice of reference in Ibero-American poetry with an elaborate treatment of language that allows him to approach life experience with depth and beauty, and to respond with humanity to the tragedy of life.
His poetry is luminous, even when it deals with difficult topics, such as heartbreak, war or grief.
like in the book What has no name, in which he addresses one of the hardest losses he has gone through: the death of his son, who committed suicide.
The director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, who was part of the jury, explained that Bonnett is one of the strongest voices in Ibero-American poetry, who joins a dazzling list of poets that this award brings to readers
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▲ Piedad Bonnett in 2014, during a Hay Festival conference in Cartagena.Afp’s photo
From the award-winner’s latest book, The inhabited ones, highlighted his ability to make it clear that the past accompanies us, because we are all inhabited by what we have lost
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Bonnett, born in Amalfi, Colombia, in 1951, belongs to a long line of school teachers. She herself taught a good part of her life. She has a degree in philosophy and literature from the Universidad de los Andes and has been a professor at this university since 1981.
Among his books of poems are: Of circle and ash (1989), The thread of days (1995), That sad animal (1996), Tricks of the weak (2004) y Unsolicited explanations (2011). He also has an extensive narrative work, with titles such as After all (2001), For others it is heaven (2004), It was always winter (2007) o The prestige of beauty (2010). He has written theater, with works such as Cat scared hare, That bites the air outside, Sanseacabó, Room for rent y Someday we will leave.
Piedad Bonnett will receive the award in November at the Auditorium of the University of Salamanca.
The Reina Sofía Prize for Ibero-American Poetry is endowed with 42,100 euros and the edition of an anthological collection of poems, academic conferences and a study of her work by a professor from the same university.