https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649
PHOTOS: Sergio Betancort
The Municipal Theater of San Bartolomé hosted this Friday night the jury's decision of the first novel contest of San Bartolomé "La Balsa de Piedra". The winner of this contest was Esteban Navarro Soriano, native of Mortalla, a town in Murcia, who took the first prize thanks to his book "The Good Father". Born in 1965, this Murcian, vocational writer and police officer by profession, consolidates his narrative with this recognition, in which he shows off his police vein in a book full of police intrigues.
Esteban Navarro Soriano received the award from the mayor of San Bartolomé, Marcial Martín. Thus, he won a check for 2,000 euros and a batch of 200 copies of the novel. This first contest was supported by the Obra Social de La Caja de Canarias, the César Manrique, José Saramago foundations and the City Council of San Bartolomé. The name of the contest comes from a novel published in 1999 when José Saramago already resided in Lanzarote and titled "la Balsa de Piedra" in reference to the island.
The jury had to choose between 89 novels from 14 autonomous communities of Spain, including the autonomous city of Ceuta, as well as European countries such as Luxembourg, Germany, France and Holland. In addition, novels were also presented by authors from the United States, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Cuba.
The jury consisted of José María Espino González, who acted as president, María de los Ángeles Cabrera Ferrer, Antonia Molinero Calleja, Jaime Puig Casasayas, Teresita de Jesús Luzardo Arrocha and María José García Pérez, Culture Technician of the City Council of San Bartolomé. The reading process by the jury was carried out in different working meetings, which lasted for more than a year given the large number of works they received.
"José and Pilar"
After the jury's decision, the film "José and Pilar" was screened, about the life of the writer and his partner. The director of the Lanzarote European Film Festival, Javier Herrera Tolentino, who was in the audience, took the stage to explain what impact this documentary had had and what benefits it could have for the island of Lanzarote.
Herrera Tolentino gave an exclusive during this event at the Teatro de San Bartolomé, where he assured that he will propose the celebration of a "European Film Gala", which could take place on December 3, 2016.