The effect of the Euskadi Awards as mediators of Basque literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17398/1888-4067.19.1.117Keywords:
cultures mediation, Basque literature, Euskadi awards, Canon conformation, minority literaturesAbstract
Literary awards play a crucial role in shaping the literary field, mediating the evaluation of authors, legitimizing works, and defining cultural canons. They act as mechanisms of consecration, providing visibility, prestige, and cultural relevance, especially in minority literatures such as Basque literature. This quantitative study is based on a custom-de-signed questionnaire to gather the experiences of individuals who have won the Euskadi Prize at some point. It examines dimensions such as visibility, prestige, sales, career op-portunities, translation, internationalization, and personal factors like the pressure felt after receiving the award. The results reveal that awardees value these prizes positively and report a temporary increase in local visibility. However, they perceive limited impact in terms of career opportunities and international reach. It is concluded that the Euskadi Prizes contribute to consolidating the Basque literary canon and reinforcing cultural val-ues within their context, although they lack significant global influence.
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