The writer Virgilio López Lemus was honored with the National Literature Award 2025, a recognition of more than five decades of intellectual work in poetry, essays and literary criticism in Cuba.
The award was granted by the Cuban Book Institute after the deliberation of a jury chaired by Miguel Barnet and made up of prominent figures of Cuban literature, including Nancy Morejón and Waldo Leyva.
The decision was adopted unanimously during a session held at the Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center, in Havana’s Vedado, according to the organizing institution.
Born in Sancti Spíritus and 79 years old, López Lemus has a Doctor in Philological Sciences and has developed a sustained career as a poet, essayist, translator, university professor and literary and art critic.
His work includes fundamental poems such as Towards the light and towards life, The five senses, body of the day, A light knock of the knocker and twelve poemspublished over more than four decades.
In addition to his poetic production, he has made significant contributions to essays and literary research, both as an author and editor, with titles dedicated to central figures of Cuban and Latin American literature.
His intellectual authority has led him to join juries of international poetry awards and literary festivals in Europe and Latin America.
His biggest concern, as he told Cubadebate last December, it is not the personal legacy, but the usefulness of his work for others and ethical care in the exercise of literary criticism.
“But I have others: not to harm anyone with my literary or artistic criticism, sometimes difficult, because it is problematic to be a complacent critic, which I am not usually. To see the essential in works, I am not an upstart. To serve as support for the new values that are emerging in our culture,” he added.
The author rejects the notion of “literary relief” and defends a plural vision of creation, in which each writer contributes a unique voice.
From this perspective, he considers that criticism fulfills an essential function by guiding readers, accompanying authors and rigorously measuring aesthetic values, as long as it is exercised with depth and responsibility.
The last Havana International Book Fair was dedicated to his figure, in recognition of his influence on contemporary literary thought.
The National Literature Award will be officially presented to him during the 34th Havana International Book Fair, scheduled for February 12 to 22 of this year.
