Almendralejo announces the XXII edition of the Carolina Coronado novel prize

The Almendralejo City Council has announced the XXII edition of the Carolina Coronado novel prize, City of Almendralejo 2027, featuring a single and indivisible prize of 8,000 euros and open to authors of any nationality or residence. The regulatory bases are published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz (BOP) No. 182, dated September 23, 2026, via Announcement 3696/2026, with an abstract in Announcement 3695/2026 and registration in the National Grants Database (BDNS 930731). The deadline for submitting originals will remain open until February 28, 2027.

The call for entries is processed under a competitive bidding regime and is classified as a grant; therefore, it is governed by Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies, and its regulation, Royal Decree 887/2006, of July 21. The bases were approved by the Local Governing Board, which is also the competent body to resolve the procedure, and bear the signature of the mayor, José María Ramírez Morán. The regulatory framework is completed by the Regulatory Ordinance of the general bases for the granting of subsidies, approved by the Plenary on February 27, 2012, and published in the BOP on June 8, 2012, and by the city council’s Strategic Subsidy Plan 2026-2028.

An 8,000 euro award and competitive bidding

The prize is subject to current tax regulations and will be subject to the corresponding legal withholdings on the indicated amount, in accordance with Law 35/2006, of November 28, on Personal Income Tax. Payment will be made after the award resolution and is conditional upon the beneficiary being up to date with their tax and Social Security obligations.

Authors of legal age of any nationality or residence may participate, with the following exclusions:

• Those who have been awarded prizes in the last two editions of the competition.
• Those who submit works already awarded in another contest or subject to a publishing commitment.

Work requirements and commitment to the fantastic

The works must be original, unpublished, and written in Spanish, with free technique and development. The author is responsible for the authorship and originality of the work and for ensuring that it has not been generated, totally or partially, by artificial intelligence. The formal conditions are:

• Minimum length of 150 pages, equivalent to 350,000 characters including spaces.
• DIN A4 format, double-sided printing, and Times New Roman or similar font, with a legible size.
• Binding or stitching of the copies.
• Submission under a pseudonym and sealed envelope (plica), without signature or identifying data.

With the stated objective of promoting the fantasy and science fiction genres, the jury will especially value novels whose plot can be encompassed within those categories, without excluding any theme. Each participant must submit two copies, one in paper and one digital in PDF via the municipal electronic office. The printed copy, together with the sealed envelope (plica), shall be sent to the Biblioteca Municipal Marcos Suárez Murillo, at avenida de San Antonio, s/n, 06200 Almendralejo (Badajoz). For postal submissions, the postmark date will be taken into account.

Jury, verdict, and calendar

A Reading Commission composed of four personalities of recognized literary or editorial prestige will select the finalist works. The Jury will be composed of the mayor-president as honorary president, with a voice but no vote, or a councilor to whom he delegates; five literary personalities or from the editorial sector with a voice and vote; and one person from the Culture and Education Section staff who will serve as secretary, with a voice but no vote. The Department of Cultural Action and Promotion will appoint the members of both bodies and protect the anonymity of the works.

The maximum period for issuing and notifying the award resolution is six months from the end of the submission period for originals, in accordance with article 25.4 of Law 38/2003. The verdict, which is final and non-appealable, will be made public at a literary evening in Almendralejo as part of the Literary Route on Romanticism, before October 15, 2027, and the award ceremony will be held in a public act within the Literary Autumn, between October and December 2027.

Ownership of the work and legal regime

The City Council of Almendralejo reserves the right to produce a first edition of the winning work within the year following the verdict, without the author accruing royalties for the first 500 copies, while recognizing their intellectual property in all cases. Subsequent publications must state the award. Non-winning paper originals may be retrieved within thirty days and will thereafter be destroyed, while digital copies will be deleted after the publication of the verdict.

Against these rules, which end the administrative process, an optional appeal for reversal may be filed within one month from the day following their publication in the BOP, or a contentious-administrative appeal before the competent court.

The call for entries reinforces Almendralejo’s position as a reference point in the Extremaduran literary calendar and opens a path for publication and promotion for novice authors of any origin, with a significant financial endowment and a participation window of more than five months.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz, No. 182, September 23, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 1-7 (official reference: Announcement 3696/2026).