History of the LOEWE Foundation International Poetry Prize

In 1988, the former president of the Foundation Enrique Loewe, the poet Luis Antonio de Villena and the editor Jesús Visor established what would become the most prestigious award for poetry in Spanish.

Juan Benet, José Hierro, Octavio Paz, Carlos Bousoño and Pablo García Baena are just some of the poets who sat on the jury of the prize.

Download the 30-year poetry prize anthology 

The evolution of the prize reflects the growth of a genre in constant transformation; from the wave of culturalist poetry of the 'Novisimos' (Newest Ones) around the 1980s and 1990s, up until the striking explosion of realist and existential poetry.

Maintaining its identity intact, the prize currently contributes to the progression of a genre that has been transformed by the surge of new voices and the increase of communication platforms to convey artistic expression. 

To explore the history of the prize, therefore, is to go on a journey of discovery though the annals of Spanish poetry.

Discover the prize winners of the last 30 years

Basilio Sánchez winner of the XXXI edition of the LOEWE Poetry Prize

Basilio Sánchez (Cáceres, 1958). Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Extremadura, has published, among others, the poems ‘Esperando las noticias del agua’ (Pre-textos, 2018), ‘Cristalizaciones’ (XX Ricardo de Molina Poetry Prize, Hiperión, 2013), ‘Las estaciones lentas’ (International Poetry Prize TIFLOS 2007. Visor, 2008) or ‘Entre una sombra y otra’ (Visor, 2006), for which he won the XX International Poetry Prize Unicaja Foundation 2005.