Two thousand one hundred and five micro-stories, from thirty-six countries, were submitted to the 12th Cardenal Mendoza International Micro-Story Contest. First prize went to “Ficciones,” written by Víctor Niso García (Cáceres, 1988). Although the title refers to the book of the same name by Jorge Luis Borges, it is a tribute to the creator of the famous hyper-short story “The Dinosaur,” Augusto Monterroso.
Second prize went to Hermegildo Altozano García-Figueras, a resident of Madrid, for “The Happiest Day of Your Life,” a short story brimming with tenderness and irony.
The eloquent simplicity of “Una nube buena,” created by Elena Olivella of Barcelona, convinced the jury to award its author third prize.
The Cardenal Mendoza Non Plus Ultra Award, given to the micro-story that best enhances the image of Jerez brandy, has been awarded to “Los trabajos” by Javier Izcue Argandoña (Pamplona, 1965). A micro-story that recreates innocence on the eve of tragedy and links the spirit of Jerez with Don Quixote.
This year, the jury also decided to award the Cardenal Mendoza Special Mention to the most outstanding finalist. It went to “Milagro,” by Nicolás Medina Cabrera (Santiago, Chile, 1988), a resident of Alicante.
The jury, chaired by Mauricio Gil Cano, was composed of poets Josefa Parra Ramos, director of the Caballero Bonald Foundation, and Ana Sofía Pérez-Bustamante Mourier, professor at the UCA and deputy director of the Royal Hispanic-American Academy; as well as the storyteller, professor, and critic José López Romero and Evaristo Babé, president of the Regulatory Council of Brandy de Jerez.
The jury’s decision and the winning micro-stories can be read on the website www.cardenalmendoza.com. The jury highlighted the quality of the winning entries and the finalists. The Cardenal Mendoza Contest has established itself as a benchmark in Spanish-language micro-fiction with its unique pairing of micro-fiction and brandy from Jerez.
