Round success of the Gaudí Prize of Poetry and Short Narrative 2003 Delivery Act

"Have you ever thought that Gaudí was a poet
and that his works exhale poetry?"

This way the Poems in Stone starts, the winning poem of the Gaudí Prize of Poetry and Short Narrative. The author, Pere Brosa, a lawyer, and a gaudinian admirer in spirit and poet hearted, read his work in front of more than 200 invited assembled the afternoon of the 24th of April in the Sagrada Família Temple to assist to the prize delivery act.

The Nativity Façade of the Temple was the incomparable stage where the jury and winners paraded, all this made pleasant by the music of master Manuel González, a great guitar player worlwidely recognized, who played works of Francesc Tàrrega and Isaac Albèniz, both composers were contemporary of Gaudí.

It was half past eight p.m. After the introduction words by Joan-Jordi Bergós, the president of the Sagrada Familia Building Committee, and of Eduard Solé, the president of the Gaudí & Barcelona Club, the great chromatic richness of the Manuel González's guitar competed in beauty with the sculptures designed by Gaudí for the Nativity Façade, whereas a cloudy sky darkened more and more: the day surrendered in front of the thrust of the night which also wanted to take part in the act. After the concert, a homage to the architect of the Sagrada Família, the applaused Manuel gave place to the prize delivery.

In only tho scarce months, works writen in Catalan, Spanish and English came from all around the planet to take part in the first world wide gaudinian-related contest of prose and poetry. Finally, 24 works were admitted in the contest.

The litterary jury of the contest was formed by Joan Bassegoda, the curator of the Royal Gaudí Chair; Josep M. Garrut, the director of the Gaudí Museum in the Park Güell; Ana María Férrin, a writer and biographer of Gaudí; three representatives of the Sagrada Família Temple Building Committee: Joan-Jordi Bergós, the president, Teresa Martínez, employer and Fabià Matas, the director; Eduard Solé, president of the Gaudí & Barcelona Club; and Joan Morell, collaborator of the Gaudí Chair and cultural adviser of the Gaudí & Barcelona Club.

The awarded

Carme Guil, a lawyer living in Vallromanes, took the first prize of narrative with "Death in the Park Güell" and repeated prize winning also the third prize of poetry, with "The winding bench". The author, accompanied by her husband and son, told us that he had only visited the Park Güell once, but that he became astonished. Just like Esther Simón, the winner of the second prize, Carme Guil did not expect her award: both they, smiling and hopeful, asserted that, when they knew about the convoking of the Gaudí & Barcelona Club prize, they started writing and that the satisfaction they felt when they were redacting them was already reward enough for them.
With "Stories from long ago" Esther Simón related in a fictitious way Gaudí's relationship with the project of the Hotel Attraction in New York. The work is a short novel in which the author empties out her admiration towards Gaudí. Esther Simón, who lives in Madrid, came expressly to Barcelona with her husband to take the second prize and to greet the Gaudí & Barcelona Club team. We spent a nice time with the couple and we thank them their sympathy and enthusiasm when they talk about Gaudí.

The jury determined two joint third prices of narrative, for "Gaudí and Whitman", by Joe Weinstein, and for "The dragon of Gaudí", by Bernat Galofré. The winners did not assist to the prize delivery: the first one because he lives in Florida (USA) and the second one because he's a boy living in Valls (Tarragona) who should assist to class the next morning. There is also the circumstance that his younger sister, Raquel, a student of fifth of primary school, won a narrative consolation prize with "Trencadís", together with the Australian Honour Leigh, for "Gaudí exemplar", and M. Pilar Cabrerizo, for "Tríptic".

What concerns to the category of poetry, "Poems of Stone" got the first prize. The author, Pere Brosa, told that, when he knew of the convoking of the contest, he had in mind at once he had to take part making an allegory to Gaudí, to whom he considers both an architect and a poet: "(…) The great Gaudí, who is for everybody, architect incomparable, / is to me, first of all, one of the greatest poets". From Bomby, a small village in England, Marilyn Oliver wrote a poem about the "Sagrada Familia", with which she got the second prize. Endly, "Chosen Identities", from the Brazilian Antônio Domingos Araújo Cunha and "Gaudí", by Montserrat Miralles, got the last two poetry consolation prizes.

With the Temple Façade illuminated, the evening ended with a coup of champagne and the tasting of the Gaudí hazels. The assistants made a toast for the good health gaudinian spirit and made the act organisers promise that next year will be convoked a second issue of the de poetry and narrative contest.

The Nativity Façade is a token of good omen for this literary contest. The April, 24th act also marks the birth of an age of good relationship between the Gaudí & Barcelona Club Association and the Sagrada Família Temple. The collaboration is materialised in the interchange of information and the organising of joint activities addressed to the members of both entities, which share the same aims: to divulge the life and work of Antoni Gaudí.

The prizes

First prizes:

Winners:
Narrative Cathegory: Carme Guil, from Vallromanes, for "Mort al Park Güell" ("Death in the Park Güell")
Poetry Cathegory: Pere Brosa, from Barcelona, for "Poemes de Pedra" ("Stone Poems")

Second prizes:

Winners:
Narrative Cathegory: Esther Simón, from Madrid, for "Historias de otros tiempos" ("Stories from long ago")
Poetry Category: Marilyn Oliver, from England, for "Sagrada Familia"

Third prizes:

Winners:
Narrative Cathegory: Joe Weinstein, from USA, for "Gaudí and Whitman". Ex aequo: Bernat Galofré, from Valls (Tarragona), for "El drac de Gaudí" ("The dragon of Gaudí")
Poetry Cathegory: Carme Guil, from Vallromanes, for "El banc ondulant" ("The winding bench")

Consolation prizes:

Winners:
Narrative Cathegory:
Honour Leigh, from Australia, for "Gaudí Exemplar"
M. Pilar Cabrerizo, from Barcelona, for "Triptic"
Raquel Galofré, from Valls, for "Trencadis"

Poetry Cathegory:
Antônio Domingos Araújo Cunha, from Brazil, for "Chosen Identities"
Montserrat Miralles, from Barcelona, for "Gaudí"