Julian Barnes Wins 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, Plans to Quit Fiction
British author Julian Barnes has won the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, becoming the second British recipient after Doris Lessing in 2001. Barnes, who rose to prominence with 'Flaubert's Parrot' (1986) and won the Booker Prize for 'The Sense of an Ending', announced that his recent novel 'Despedidas' will likely be his last work of fiction. The award, which includes a €50,000 prize and a Joan Miró sculpture, recognizes Barnes's distinctive blend of fiction and essay writing across a career spanning multiple literary roles.
Julian Barnes, the Leicester-born author and Oxford Modern Languages graduate, has been awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. The award ceremony will take place on October 23, 2026. Barnes becomes only the second British writer to receive this prestigious Spanish honor, following Doris Lessing's win in 2001. He is already an accomplished recipient of France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy. During a May 16 visit to Barcelona, Barnes discussed his recent novel 'Despedidas', which he indicated would likely be his final work of fiction, though he clarified he intends to continue writing in other genres. The author also disclosed that he has been diagnosed with what he described as 'manageable' blood cancer. The Princess of Asturias Award includes a €50,000 cash prize, a Joan Miró sculpture, an official diploma, and a badge.
What different sources said
- EuronewsCenter
Julian Barnes quits fiction after winning 2026 Princess of Asturias for literature
Related
Jackson Dean Contributes Tribute Song to Gregg Allman Documentary
Country star Jackson Dean has contributed a song titled "My Cross to Bear" to the documentary "Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul," which premiered in New York City on June 9, 2026. The film celebrates the life and legacy of the Allman Brothers Band founder and is being distributed by Subtext, an independent film production company. The documentary will expand to theaters nationwide on June 17 after premiering in Macon, Georgia and select cities.
MGK Describes Severe Health Issues During Large Blackout Tattoo Project
Musician MGK revealed in a Billboard Canada interview that he experienced significant health complications while getting a large blackout tattoo on his upper body, including swollen lymph nodes, yellowing skin, insomnia, and reduced mobility. The tattoo, created by artist ROXX and originally planned as a two-year project, was completed in approximately two months due to the severity of his symptoms. MGK stated he emerged from the experience inspired despite the physical toll.
Historian Gordon Wood, Pioneer of Revolutionary Era Scholarship, Dies at 92
Gordon Wood, a prominent historian who revolutionized the study of the American Revolution and Founding Fathers, has died at age 92, just weeks before the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Wood and his mentor Bernard Bailyn pioneered a scholarly approach that carefully examined primary sources like pamphlets and debates rather than imposing ideological frameworks onto history. His work represents the end of what scholars call a golden age in American Revolutionary historiography that began in the postwar decades.