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Dominican Republic Honors Winners of 2026 National Literature Awards
The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Culture has recognized outstanding literary works and historical research by announcing the winners of the 2026 National Literature Awards and the 2025 José Gabriel García History Award during a ceremony in Santo Domingo.
The Ministry of Culture (MINC) announced the winners of the 2026 National Literature Awards and the 2025 José Gabriel García History Award during an official ceremony held at its headquarters in Santo Domingo. The annual awards recognize excellence in literary creation and historical research while promoting the country’s cultural heritage.
The event brought together writers, academics, government officials and cultural leaders, including Vice Minister Pastor de Moya, who emphasized that the awards reflect the Dominican government’s commitment to supporting literature, historical scholarship and national identity. He also highlighted the participation of 128 literary works submitted for this year’s competition.
Literary Awards Celebrate Dominican Authors
The Manuel de Jesús Galván Novel Award was presented to Manuel García Cartagena for La enana. The Salomé Ureña de Henríquez Poetry Award went to Alberto Eloy Tejera for Morir es verse, while the Pedro Henríquez Ureña Essay Award recognized Ysabel Noemí Tejeda Díaz for Culto al cuerpo: las tentaciones entre la salud y la apariencia.
Other winners included Ingrid Luciano Sánchez, whose play Hay una yola en el mundo received the Cristóbal de Llerena Theater Award; César Sánchez Beras, whose book El mapa de la noche earned the Aurora Tavárez Belliard Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award; and Gustavo Olivo Peña, whose collection Desde un costado de la (des)memoria won the José Ramón López Short Story Award.
History Prize Recognizes Original Research
The 2025 José Gabriel García History Award was awarded to Carlos Manuel Diloné for his work Ingenio Barahona: la fundación del Batey Central y su impacto en el desarrollo de la provincia. Selected from eight submissions, the study was recognized for its contribution to the understanding of the History of the Dominican Republic through original historical research.
Created by Decree No. 3-17 in 2017, the José Gabriel García History Award honors scholarly works that make significant contributions to Dominican historiography. The prize includes RD$500,000, a recognition diploma and publication of the winning work by the National Publishing House.
Supporting Dominican Literature and Cultural Heritage
The Ministry of Culture also announced that winners in each literary category will receive RD$300,000, a diploma and publication of their works. According to the ministry, the awards seek to encourage literary production, recognize excellence in writing and strengthen the country’s bibliographic heritage.
The evaluation process was conducted by panels of distinguished writers, researchers and specialists in each category. The official awards ceremony, where recipients will formally receive their prizes, will take place on a date to be announced by the Ministry of Culture.
