In 2025, Barcelona experienced a significant event for all those following Catalonia’s cultural scene. The region’s most famous literary night, formerly known as Nit de Santa Llúcia, has been given a new name and a completely revamped format. The event is now called the Nit de les Lletres Catalanes and is celebrating its 75th anniversary in a renewed form.
The celebration will take place on March 14 in the Saló Oval of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, MNAC). Organized by Òmnium Cultural and the Institut d’Estudis Catalans, the event features both a new name and an expanded program designed to make the evening the premier cultural gathering for everyone connected to Catalan literature.
This year, the ceremony will present a total of 12 awards. Among them are the traditional prizes, such as the Sant Jordi for best novel, which has now become the largest in the history of Catalan literary awards: the winner will receive €75,000. The Carles Riba for poetry, Mercè Rodoreda for short stories, Folch i Torres for children’s literature, Joaquim Ruyra for young adult fiction, Joan B. Cendrós for international achievement, and Muriel Casals for contributions to communication also remain.
Several new categories have been added to the familiar lineup. For the first time, the Òmnium award for a published novel (€25,000), the Montserrat Franquesa for translation (€4,000), Vinyeta Ficomic for comic books in Catalan (€2,000), and Lo Somni for young authors (€10,000) will be awarded. Special attention goes to the Àngel Guimerà prize for drama, established in partnership with the Barcelona Provincial Council and the city’s theatre association. This has become Spain’s largest theatre award—€15,000 for the best unpublished play.
A new format and ambitious goals from the organizers
The organizers emphasize that the revamped ceremony is intended to be more than just an awards presentation—it will be a true celebration for everyone involved with Catalan-language books: from writers to publishers and readers. This year, there is a particular focus on expanding the audience: for the first time, the ceremony will be broadcast across the entire region on the national television channel, attracting thousands of new viewers to the event.
According to the organizers, Catalan-language literature is currently experiencing a period of growth, and the new celebration format will further strengthen the position of Catalan books in Spain and beyond. A key goal is also to encourage young people to read and to support emerging authors and translators.
Significance for Catalonia’s cultural life
Renaming and expanding the format of the literary night was a response to the demands of the times. It is now much more than just an awards ceremony—it’s a large-scale meeting for everyone shaping Catalonia’s cultural space. The organizers are confident that the new format will fill the gap that previously existed in celebrating achievements in Catalan literature and will give a powerful boost to the development of the sector.
This year, Nit de les Lletres Catalanes promises to be the standout event for everyone interested in contemporary literature and the region’s culture. Barcelona once again confirms its status as the center of Catalan books, inspiring new achievements.
