Adam Zagajewski 2017 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2017 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, composed of Félix de Azúa Comella, Xosé Ballesteros Rey, Xuan Bello Fernández, Blanca Berasátegui Garaizábal, Juan Cruz Ruiz, Luis Alberto de Cuenca y Prado, Álex Grijelmo García, Manuel Llorente Manchado, Carmen Millán Grajales, Ángeles Mora Fragoso, Carme Riera i Guilera, Ana Santos Aramburo, Sergio Vila-Sanjuán Robert, Juan Villoro Ruiz, chaired by Darío Villanueva Prieto and with José Luis García Delgado acting as secretary, has decided to confer the 2017 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature on the Polish poet and essayist Adam Zagajewski.

In addition to his reflections on creation and his intense work of memorialization, Zagajewski’s poetry validates the ethical sense of literature and in a single, yet diverse voice in his native Polish accent unites Western tradition, all the while reflecting on the sorrows of exile. Careful attention to lyrical imagery, the intimate experience of time and the conviction that a certain brilliance feeds the flame of artistic creation form the inspiration for one of the most exciting poetic experiences of this Europe, heir to Rilke, Miłosz and Antonio Machado.

Oviedo, 8th June 2017