The Franco-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf has been announced as the winner of the FIL Award for Literature in Romance Languages , a recognition that underscores the enduring relevance of a body of work marked by the intersection of cultures, the memory of exile, and a critical perspective on fanaticism. The author received the news remotely, in a video conference, where he shared his vision of the contemporary world and the role that literature can still play.
In his words, this time is especially delicate, but not without possibilities: he trusts in the capacity of societies to find a spark of humanity that will allow them to get through this moment. Faced with the rise of exclusionary positions, Maalouf championed literature as a space for dialogue and for caring for the common good.
A recognition with an international seal
The award, one of the most prestigious in the literary world of Spanish and other Romance languages, recognizes a lifetime of achievement with a prize of $150.000 . The award will be presented during the opening ceremony of the next edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, the region's major publishing event.
This year, 63 formal applications were received; after eliminating duplicates, 48 proposals from 18 countries were evaluated , all based on six Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan). The FIL, founded by the University of Guadalajara, maintains a global program and features Barcelona as the guest city of honor this year.
The organization emphasizes that the prize aims to recognize creative works in any genre that, through their aesthetic and intellectual ambition, broaden cultural dialogue . Maalouf thus joins a list of authors that includes, among others, Nicanor Parra , Olga Orozco , Fernando del Paso , Margo Glantz , Emmanuel Carrère , Claudio Magris , Ida Vitale , Diamela Eltit , Mircea Cărtărescu , and Mia Couto.
The announcement in Guadalajara was attended by institutional representatives, academics, and journalists , as well as the FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair) leadership. The session served to frame the verdict and explain the criteria that led to the decision.
Jury's reasons and who served on it
The jury spokesperson, Spanish academic Carmen Alemany , emphasized that Maalouf's work occupies "an essential place" in contemporary literature for its lucid exploration of the fractures and hybridity of the modern world . His novels and essays, she noted, delve into memory and exile and avoid nationalist or religious narrow-mindedness.
The evaluation committee consisted of Alain Mabanckou (Republic of Congo), Francisco Noa (Mozambique), Jerónimo Pizarro (Colombia), Lucía Melgar (Mexico), Massimo Rizzante (Italy), Xavi Ayén (Spain), and the aforementioned Carmen Alemany (Spain). Among the elements considered, Maalouf's essayistic scope and his ability to warn, with an almost prophetic vision, of troubling trends in our time were highlighted .
For the jury, the identities that populate her narrative are made of layers, intersections, and passages , rather than borders. This humanistic, critical, and generous approach was considered key to understanding the era and one of the central reasons for the award.
Maalouf's voice in the present
From his library, Maalouf avoided succumbing to catastrophism, although he admitted that humanity is going through a particularly risky phase , marked by conflicts, extremist rhetoric, and technology that often seems to overwhelm the capacity for social management. Even so, he is confident in a “wave of humanity” capable of sustaining coexistence.
The writer insisted that literature can be a remedy against self-absorption and the clash between communities. In his view, we have progressed in many technical areas, but not so much in “our way of treating each other,” a deficiency that literary work can help correct through empathy and the recognition of shared heritages.
The question of identity reappeared as the central theme of his thinking: beyond particular affiliations, what should prevail is the common human identity , a perspective that shuns any claim of cultural superiority and that fuels his defense of dialogue between shores.
Career and works: from exile to the French Academy
Born in Beirut in 1949 , Maalouf went into exile in France in the late seventies. A journalist by training and a prolific storyteller, his work has been translated into more than forty languages and ranges from novels to essays, with widely acclaimed titles.
Among his most notable books are Leo Africanus , Samarkand , The Gardens of Light , The Disoriented , Murderous Identities and The Shipwreck of Civilizations , texts that address uprooting, cultural mixing and the tensions of the present with clear and reflective prose.
Throughout his career he has received numerous awards, including the Goncourt Prize for The Rock of Tanios and the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature (2010). Since 2011 he has been a member of the French Academy and currently serves as its perpetual secretary, a position that underscores his importance in the French intellectual landscape.
The new award is part of a trajectory that has built bridges between East and West , and that has served as a reference for readers seeking to understand, without simplifications, the complexities of history and contemporary life.
With this decision, the Guadalajara International Book Fair reinforces its commitment as an international platform for critical thinking and literary creation, and places Amin Maalouf once again at the center of public discourse: an author who, through fiction and essays, proposes a common horizon for turbulent times.
