The Vila d'Ascó Awards Celebrate Their 38th Edition with a Night of Culture

The literary and artistic competition, well-established in Catalonia, recognizes unpublished works and promotes Catalan creation.

Generic image of a library interior with wooden bookshelves and a podium with a microphone.
IA

Generic image of a library interior with wooden bookshelves and a podium with a microphone.

The Vila d'Ascó Awards reach their 38th edition, solidifying their position as a cultural benchmark in Catalonia, with a gala that will pay tribute to Catalan cabaret.

Organized by the Ascó Town Council, the competition recognizes unpublished works in Catalan across various disciplines, including narrative, poetry, youth literature, micro-fiction, and photography. With an annual participation exceeding 400 works, these awards have become a prominent platform for emerging literary and creative voices, as well as a significant meeting point for the country's burgeoning talent.
The awards ceremony will take place on May 16 at the Casal Municipal d'Ascó, as part of the Night of Culture. This public gala will pay homage to Catalan cabaret, revue, and couplets, evoking the spirit of Barcelona's Paral·lel district.
The two main accolades are the XXXVIII Vila d'Ascó Literary Award, endowed with 3,600 euros and the publication of the work by imprints of Grup 9 Editorial, and the XXI Joan Perucho Vila d'Ascó Poetry Award, with a prize of 2,400 euros and publication in the Poemes d'Edicions Saldonar collection.
The competition is complemented by other categories, such as the Photography Award, which focuses on images of Ascó; the Sant Jordi Short Narrative Award for Young People, with various categories and endowments; and the Sant Jordi Micro-fiction Award, which this year revolves around the theme of everyday heroes and heroines.
Beyond the accolades, the Vila d'Ascó Awards represent a firm commitment to promoting the Catalan language, contemporary creation, and cultural revitalization of the region, with the aim of positioning Ascó as a cultural hub in the Ribera d'Ebre.
The Night of Culture, celebrating its seventh edition, will combine the awards ceremony with a show inspired by the old revue theaters of Barcelona's Paral·lel and traditional festival marquees. The gala will feature an actress and a drag queen, accompanied by a choir and dance troupe, in a theatrical proposal designed to transport the audience to the world of Catalan cabaret.