Carlota Gurt wins Llibres Anagrama Award

Carlota Gurt wins the 11th Anagrama Books Prize by unanimous decision of the jury with Els erms (Barren), a novel featuring two unforgettable characters in search of wild joy.

Gurt made her literary debut by winning the 2019 Mercè Rodoreda Prize with the short story collection Cavalcarem tota la nit, and Sola was her first novel, an editorial phenomenon that achieved overwhelming success with both critics and readers. In 2023, she published a new collection of short stories, Biografia del foc. Her work has been translated into several languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, German, Greek, and Galician.

The Jury, on Els erms (Barren):

«A narrative tour de force confronting the barren landscapes of today’s world, showing how a truly compelling work of fiction can triumph over reality.» (Mita Casacuberta).
 
«Gurt writes about all kinds of droughts with humor, mystery, and, ultimately, hope. In Els erms (Barren), when reality becomes suffocating, her fertile and untamable imagination comes to the rescue.» (Guillem Gisbert).
 
«Ask ChatGTP to describe Carlota Gurt’s work and style, and it will say: ‘Her prose is precise yet intimate, inviting reflection on emotions, solitude, and the search for meaning in everyday life.’ But after reading Els erms (Barren), you will realize—fortunately for both her and her readers—that Gurt’s writing is far richer and more powerful than any algorithm could capture.» (Sergi Pàmies).
 
«Caught as if in an Escher drawing, the characters seem to seek a vanishing point that might set them free. Yet at the same time, Gurt’s prose envelops them—and us—with a striking, fearless, and mysterious intensity.» (Jordi Puntí).