The Ministry of Culture has awarded the National Prize for the Work of a Translator 2026 to Olivia de Miguel Crespo and the National Prize for Best Translation 2026 to Pablo Martín Sánchez. The jury recognised Olivia de Miguel Crespo for her 'aesthetic fidelity and linguistic sensitivity in capturing the rhythm and tonal nuances of the original.'
Pablo Martín Sánchez received the award for his translation of 'Lugares' by Georges Perec, commended for 'the quality, creativity, and ingenuity with which he overcame the multiple challenges of conveying a text of immense complexity.'
Each prize is valued at €30,000. The jury highlighted that 'through her extensive career, De Miguel, a master of translators, has maintained excellence in her work due to rigorous reflection, mastery of expressive resources, and an unwavering passion for a profession she views as a constant pursuit of knowledge and discovery.'
In addition, the jury praised Pablo Martín Sánchez's translation of 'Lugares' for its 'quality, creativity, and ingenuity in overcoming the numerous difficulties involved in conveying a highly complex text.' They noted his meticulous work, which demonstrates skill in addressing an unfinished work, requiring a careful detection and respect for its inherent inconsistencies.
Finally, the jury remarked that 'in the face of the challenges posed by an oulipian work, Martín Sánchez exhibits a brilliant ability to recreate the original wordplay, pushing the limits of the language and enriching it through the creation of neologisms.'
Biographies
Olivia de Miguel Crespo
Born in Logroño in 1948, she is a translator and professor at the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation at Pompeu Fabra University. She holds a degree in Anglo-Germanic Philology from the University of Zaragoza and a PhD in Translation Theory from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She has previously received the Ángel Crespo Translation Prize in 2005 and the National Prize for Best Translation in 2011.
Pablo Martín Sánchez
Born in Reus in 1977, he holds a doctorate in French Language and Literature from the Université de Lille and in Theory of Literature and Art from the University of Granada. He won the Ángel Crespo Translation Prize in 2022 and has published works such as 'Fricciones' and 'El anarquista que se llamaba como yo.'
Jury
The juries for both awards were presided over by María José Gálvez Salvador, the General Director of Books, Comics, and Reading at the Ministry of Culture. The jury for the National Prize for the Work of a Translator included members such as Montserrat Bacardí Tomàs, Inmaculada Senra Silva, and Xabier Olarra Lizaso, among others.
