Literary awards for books published in Catalan (2000-2020): deliberations and canon

Abstract

This article analyses the literary awards for works published in Catalan, a field that still remains rather academically unexplored. The research also measures the actual incidence of these awards in shaping a canon related to the category of narrative prose in this language. The study evaluates the seven current awards that reward books already on the market: Llibreter, Crexells, Serra d’Or, Crítica Catalana, Òmnium, Ciutat de Barcelona and Lletra d’Or. Specifically, it describes the particularities and peculiarities of each award and focuses its analysis on the award-winning adult narrative titles throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. The sample values considered are examined award by award and jointly. The factors evaluated include jury model and the gender and geographical origin of the award-winning writers, as well as the degree of canonicity resulting from the accumulation of awards in terms of works, authors and publishers.