For spreading all the writers of Aragon, whether they are famous or not, have much or little work, are starting or are already emblematic in this of the letters, for doing a job “that no cultural journalist does in this land” and, ultimately, “for deserving it more than anyone else”. For all these reasons, explained with emotion by the president of the Aragonese Association of Writers, Pilar Aguarón, the journalist Ana Segura received this Tuesday the first prize of the AAEE in an old plenary hall of the DPZ full of colleagues and Aragonese pens. The AAEE thus premiered at its annual gala this reformulated award (formerly the Magnet Award), which for the first time goes beyond the members and is aimed at any person who carries out outstanding cultural work. And that is Ana Segura.
The journalist, head of contents of Aragón Radio, has been directing the program “La torre de Babel” for six years. in which she talks about culture in all its expressions, from theater to dance and, of course, literature. She herself acknowledged that “although Aragon for many is the periphery, we have a cultural ecosystem in which there is everything, we have great authors, great publishers. Some of the latest national narrative prizes, for example, have been published with Aragonese publishers”.
Grateful and excited to receive the AAEE award, Segura alluded in her speech to the moment of strength that Aragonese literature is experiencing. “In the year 2023, 87,000 books were published in Spain, 2,213 of them in Aragon, that is, six books every day. Many of these books have passed through the program I host in Aragón Radio, the reason why we are here today. My intention is that all writers find their place in it, that a new author feels like a bestseller because there are no stories that are worth more than others. Poetry, historical essays, romantic novels, comics, autofiction, big or small publishers, known or unknown authors… I wanted the program to be like a bookstore in which to find and discover interesting things, beyond what we are always told, beyond what is purely commercial…”, said the journalist when she received the award.
The gala was also attended by the presence of the Deputy Delegate of Culture of the DPZ, Charo Lázaro, and the General Director of Culture of the Government of Aragón, Pedro Olloqui., who has valued the “great moment that Aragonese literature and culture are living”. During the event, it has been used to take stock of an association that currently has 264 writers and writers associated “with absolute parity”, in the words of Aguarón.
“We are the association of writers in Spain with more members than any other association in the world. The truth is that we are delighted with the arrival of new writers”, acknowledged the president in a speech in which she also paid tribute to Rosendo Tello, who died a few months ago and who was Honorary President of the Aragonese Writers Association.
The multiple activities carried out by the AAEE also came to the fore at the gala. Poetry recitals, narrative recitals, literary conferences and cycles (such as the one starting in December called “Women count”) make up a frenetic activity that aims to “give projection to all Aragonese writers, so that any writer feels identified with us,” said the president. Finally, during the event, the latest issue of the magazine Imán was also presented.