Ildefonso Falcones Wins 'History in a Novel' Award

The 18th edition of the Crédit Agricole Prize 'History in a Novel' goes to Spanish writer Ildefonso Falcones, an award born from the collaboration between Fondazione Pordenonelegge and Link Mediafestival of Trieste, at the instigation of Crédit Agricole Italia. The Pordenonelegge festival announced it, in the countdown to its 26th edition, scheduled this year from 17 to 21 September. And precisely as part of the Book Festival with Authors, Ildefonso Falcones will receive the Crédit Agricole Prize on Saturday 20 September, at 6 pm, at the Teatro Verdi in Pordenone, represented by a silver Thaler of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, a coin that preceded the euro and is a symbol of unity and peaceful coexistence between peoples. The ceremony, as always, will be followed by a lively meeting with the public on the connections between the novel and history, an opportunity to present the writer's new book, "In guerra e in amore", out tomorrow, Tuesday 17 June, for Longanesi.

The Crédit Agricole Prize 'History in a Novel' has been awarded over time to Arturo Peréz-Reverte, Abraham Yehoshua, Art Spiegelman, Alessandro Baricco, Ian McEwan, Martin Amis, Umberto Eco, Emmanuel Carrère, Javier Cercas, Wole Soyinka, Robert Harris, Svetlana Aleksievič, Olga Tokarczuk, Fernando Aramburu, Jhumpa Lahiri, Annie Ernaux and, in 2024, to Azar Nafisi.

"We are happy and proud to award this year during pordenonelegge the Crédit Agricole History in a Novel Award to the Spanish writer Ildefonso Falcones, one of the greatest exponents of world literature – Crédit Agricole Italia announced – Falcones' name further enhances a truly incredible list of authors that the Festival, thanks to our help, has had the merit of involving and bringing into dialogue with the local community. The intuition, almost twenty years ago, of establishing an award that would enhance the knowledge of history through literature appears today more current and modern than ever".

"The 2025 edition of the Crédit Agricole History in a Novel Award - the reasons explain - goes to the writer Ildefonso Falcones for having given back, through his historical novels, the voice of the forgotten masses of History. From Cathedral of the Sea to The Painter of Souls, Falcones has masterfully intertwined the intimate stories of his protagonists with the great social and political transformations of Spain, narrating the tensions between faith and justice, oppression and redemption. In his books, the past is never just a backdrop, but a living and pulsating body, inhabited by men and women who fight for emancipation, for identity, for dignity. A central place is reserved for female figures: strong, courageous, independent, his women challenge the conventions of their time and become bearers of a profound desire for freedom. In this sense, Falcones' work is also a form of literary compensation for women erased or marginalized by History. With an epic and enveloping style, Falcones reminds us that historical literature can still to be a mirror of our deepest conflicts and a key to understanding the present."

And tomorrow, Longanesi will publish Falcones' new novel, "In guerra e in amore" (752 pages, €25, translated by Claudia Marseguerra, Silvia Sichel, Claudia Acher Marinelli), which, almost twenty years after the success of Cattedrale del mare, gives us the new installment of an unmissable saga for history lovers. A novel that reveals unforgettable female characters against the backdrop of a splendid and original Italian setting - the Kingdom of Naples in the year 1442 - a faithful reflection of the author's love for the civilization and culture of our country. The protagonist is Arnau Estanyol, Count of Navarcles, the king's companion in arms and hunting, among the conquerors of Naples and among the most prominent members of the court surrounding the Aragonese king Alfonso in the city at the foot of Vesuvius, threatened by his half-brother Gaspar.