SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 8th May (EUROPA PRESS) –
The ‘Azagal 2024 Prize’ was recently presented to Pedro Mañas by the Cabildo of Tenerife, specifically through the Education and Youth department, for his book ‘A Wolf Inside’, which was published by Nube de Tinta.
The award ceremony took place at the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA) auditorium last Tuesday, with the participation of over 150 students and 39 educators from various schools, who served as the judging panel.
Mañas emerged as the winner among three finalists, alongside Paloma González Rubio for ‘Dead Boys’ and Marina Tena for ‘Travelers of Dreams’.
Minister of Employment and Education, Efraín Medina, highlighted the objectives of the ‘Azagal Prize’ in a statement, emphasizing its role in “educating young readers with critical thinking skills, empowering them by making them the jury for a literary award, creating spaces for discussion and contemplation where young individuals can exchange their thoughts on storytelling, writing, literature, and values, and providing a platform for budding authors to showcase their literary works.”
Medina also pointed out that “the students of Tenerife play a crucial role in this award, which stands out from other literary competitions as the victor is chosen by students rather than a panel of literary experts.”
Furthermore, it was mentioned that the finalist works are unveiled through ‘Palabras Filmadas’, another initiative under the Insular Program for Reading Animation and Study Techniques (PIALTE) involving 4th-year ESO students.
The Azagal Promoter Group consists of sixteen members, including young individuals who have participated in Reading Committees and adults with connections to youth literature such as writers, editors, teachers, journalists, or librarians.
This group is responsible for selecting the top three works from a pool of eight young adult novels, based on a series of educational and literary criteria tailored to the youth audience.
