Premio Cervantes

Regarded as the Spanish-language Nobel Prize for Literature, the Cervantes Prize is named after the author of the Quixote. It is considered the highest recognition of Spanish and Latin American writers whose works have contributed significantly to enriching the Spanish-language literary heritage. The list of authors awarded since its first edition in 1975 is clear evidence of the significance of the Prize for Spanish culture.

The prize winner is decided by a jury at the end of the year. It is awarded by the King of Spain to the recipient every April 23rd, the anniversary of the death of Cervantes, in the auditorium of the University of Alcalá de Henares, birthplace of the writer.

The winners are listed below. Nicanor Parra, Bolaño's favorite Chilean poet, wins the prize this year.

WINNERS OF PREMIO CERVANTES

2011 Nicanor Parra (Chile)

2010 Ana María Matute (Spain)

2009 José Emilio Pacheco (Mexico)

2008 Juan Marsé (Spain)

2007 Juan Gelman (Argentina)

2006 Antonio Gamoneda (Spain)

2005 Sergio Pitol (Mexico)

2004 Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio (Spain)

2003 Gonzalo Rojas (Chile)

2002 José Jiménez Lozano (Spain)

2001 Álvaro Mutis (Colombia)

2000 Francisco Umbral (Spain)

1999 Jorge Edwards (Chile)

1998 José Hierro (Spain)

1997 Guillermo Cabrera Infante (Cuba)

1996 José García Nieto (Spain)

1995 Camilo José Cela (Spain)

1994 Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)

1993 Miguel Delibes (Spain)

1992 Dulce María Loynaz (Cuba)

1991 Francisco Ayala (Spain)

1990 Adolfo Bioy Casares (Argentina)

1989 Augusto Roa Bastos (Paraguay)

1988 María Zambrano (Spain)

1987 Carlos Fuentes (Mexico)

1986 Antonio Buero Vallejo (Spain)

1985 Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (Spain)

1984 Ernesto Sábato (Argentina)

1983 Rafael Alberti (Spain)

1982 Luis Rosales (Spain)

1981 Octavio Paz (Mexico)

1980 Juan Carlos Onetti (Uruguay)

1979 Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina)
1979 Gerardo Diego (Spain)

1978 Dámaso Alonso (Spain)

1977 Alejo Carpentier (Cuba)

1976 Jorge Guillén (Spain)

Sources: Ministerio de Cultura; Wikipedia