The Fundación Santillana opens a call for submissions for the Second Isabel Polanco International Essay Prize

The Fundación Santillana, in collaboration with the Guadalajara International Book Fair (Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara -FIL), has opened a call for submissions for the Second Isabel Polanco International Essay Prize. The award, created in honor of the late CEO of Grupo Santillana, Isabel Polanco, recognizes work of excellence in the field of essay.

The theme for this the second outing for the award is The Spanish Language, its unity and diversity, its history, present and future, its relationship with other languages and its literary, cultural and economic potential. The work may take any academic or methodological approach. The competition is open to all authors writing in Spanish, whatever their nationality, as long as the work complies with the commonly accepted concept of essay, is in Spanish and is original and unpublished.

The prize is worth 100,000 dollars and comes with a commemorative sculpture by the artist Martín Chirino.

This year's jury will be led by the former Chilean president Ricardo Lagos, with the academic Gonzalo Celorio acting as permanent jury secretary. They'll be joined by three other leading intellectuals.

Submissions must be received by May 15, 2010. The jury's decision will be final and will be made public  in October in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. The winning work will be published by Taurus and distributed throughout Latin America, Spain and the US, where Santillana is present.

Further information:

Premio Internacional de Ensayo Isabel Polanco.