Granada-born author Francisco C. Ayudarte Granados has won the XIX International Tristana Prize for his fantasy novel 'El legado ámbar', as announced by the Councillor for Culture, Noemí Méndez, following the jury's decision in Santander. The jury, which included writers Inés García Rodrigo and Conchi Castañeda, novelist Enrique Álvarez Fernández, and editor José Ángel Zapatero, awarded the prize to Ayudarte's work from a pool of 350 submissions received by the Cultural Service of the Santander City Council.
Out of the total entries, 291 met the competition's criteria and were evaluated by a reading committee that shortlisted eight finalists. The jury praised the classic profile of 'El legado ámbar', highlighting its solid narrative structure that begins with an exploration of family memory and a critical perspective on the social and political realities of 19th-century rural Andalusia, gradually transitioning into the realm of fantasy and ghost stories.
The novel employs the found manuscript technique to create two narrative layers: the story of the grandfather and the present-day journey of his great-grandson, who discovers the document and embarks on a quest to uncover his family's past. Méndez congratulated the award-winning author and commended the quality of the winning work, as well as the competition's ability to attract literary proposals that explore the diverse possibilities of the fantasy genre.
She also highlighted the international stature and consolidation of the Tristana Prize, which this year received submissions from all Spanish provinces, nearly all Latin American countries, and much of Europe.
About Francisco C. Ayudarte
Born in Motril, Granada, in 1958, Francisco C. Ayudarte Granados is a poet and storyteller. A teacher and graduate in Psychopedagogy from the University of Granada, he has dedicated much of his professional career to adult education and coordinating writing workshops, including the Taller Guadalfeo. His literary output encompasses both poetry and narrative.
In poetry, he has explored forms ranging from sonnets and coplas to haikus and prose poems. Notable publications include 'Migas de luz. Poemas, 1979-2020' (2022), which compiles four decades of work, and 'Pekorea' (2023), where he introduced the haikudilla, a unique poetic form combining haiku and seguidilla. In narrative, he has published several short story collections and the historical novel 'El testimonio del silencio' (2025). His work has earned him various awards, including the first prize in the Gabriel Aresti Short Story Competition in Bilbao (2026) for 'La última sustitución' and the International Bruma Negra Short Story Competition (2025).
The Tristana Prize
The International Tristana Prize was established in 2003 to promote literary creation and support the publication of short novels. Since its second edition, the competition has specialised in fantasy literature in all its forms, filling a previously underrepresented niche in Spanish literary awards. The prize has gained prestige among writers and readers of the genre and has facilitated the international dissemination of the awarded works. Organised by the Santander City Council, the prize includes a cash award of €8,000 and the publication of the winning work by Menoscuarto Ediciones, a publisher that has collaborated with the competition since its second edition.
