The association of Propagandists has awarded the first José María Pemán award Novel award to Gabriel Insausti for his work *Las arenas de Gabès*
30 | 06 | 2026
The association of Propagandists has awarded the first José María Pemán award Novel award to Gabriel Insausti for his work *Las arenas de Gabès*, which was selected by the jury from among the hundreds of original manuscripts submitted for this inaugural call for entries from various parts of Spain and the Spanish-speaking world.
After deliberation, the jury highlighted the literary quality of the winning novel, as well as its ability to address, from a deeply human perspective, the great questions of existence. In addition, the jury named the following works as finalists: *Toda su sangré será poca* by Alfonso Basallo; *La muchacha de la bookshop by Guadalupe Arbona; *Luminar* by Jesús Cotta; and *El último fragmento* by José Manuel da Silva.
With this recognition, the association of Propagandists concludes the first edition of a competition with the aim of promoting literature of excellence that, from a Catholic perspective on reality, helps shed light on the great questions of the human condition. Inspired by the bequest and literary bequest of José María Pemán, the award to honor works that combine beauty, truth, and goodness, and that address universal themes such as love, justice, happiness, suffering, and death, offering readers a hopeful perspective on the human condition.
In agreement the competition instructions , the winning work will receive a award 50,000 euros and will be published by the publishing house or one of its imprints, or in partnership a publishing house .
The association of Propagandists would like to express its gratitude for the extraordinary response to this first call for submissions and for the trust placed in it by all participating authors. The high level of participation and the quality of the works submitted confirm the interest in high-quality fiction capable of engaging with the challenges of our time through a deep sense of the religious and literary excellence.
About the winning work, in the words of its author
“The Sands of Gabèscenters on a Basque-Frenchman, Jon Gametxogoikoetxea, the son of Civil War refugees who frequents Belloc’s abbey, and recounts his experience as a soldier in the Algerian War; his drama, his thirst for communion, and his search for a community to belong to will be resolved—after numerous episodes and disappointments—through the finding the person and the Christ within others; but to reach Him, Jon must endure the hardships and cruelties of war in a devastated country. *The Sands of Gabès*is a plea for freedom of conscience that is not at odds with solidarity.”
About the author
Gabriel Insausti holds doctorates in Philology and Philology , as well as Master's Degree Art History and Philosophy. A writer, essayist, poet, and translator, he has built an extensive literary career spanning fiction, poetry, essay, aphorisms, and travel writing. He has also published numerous academic research papers and has translated authors such as Oscar Wilde, John Henry Newman, and Evelyn Waugh, among others, into Spanish.
Throughout his degree program been honored with some of Spain’s most prestigious literary awards, including the Gerardo Diego, the Arcipreste de Hita, the Manuel Alcántara, the Ateneo Jovellanos, the Amado Alonso, and the José Bergamín. In addition, he was a finalist for award Literature award in 2002 and the award Novel award in 2013.
About the Jury
The jury for this first edition was composed of Andrés Amorós, essayist, historian, and literary critic; Esther Borrego, professor of Spanish literature at the Complutense University of Madrid; Marcin Kazmierczak, President CEU Abat Oliba University; and Chapu Apaolaza, journalist and writer—four renowned figures in the fields of literature, philosophy, and journalism. Their experience and prestige ensured a assessment and independent assessment process, aimed at recognizing a work that stands out both for its literary quality and for its ability to address the great questions of the human condition, in keeping with the spirit of award José María Pemán Novel award .