The Madrid writer will be awarded a prize of 7,000 euros and her poetry collection will be published by Pre-Textos publishing house. The announcement was made during a ceremony featuring a performance by Lole Montoya and the presence of Laura García Lorca, director of the Federico García Lorca Foundation and niece of the renowned poet. Estepona City Council has revealed that Helena Mariño, from Madrid, has emerged as the winner of the VI International Poetry Award ‘City of Estepona’ for her book of poems ‘Behold the shining word’. The decision was reached during a meeting attended by the mayor, José María García Urbano, and the jury members, which included Miriam Reyes, Aurora Luque, Ana Fernández ‘La Bien Querida’, Felipe Benítez Reyes, Marta Fernández, Mariano Acosta, and Manuel Borrás. The jury praised ‘Behold the shining word’ for Mariño’s skill in transforming her dwelling into ‘a sanctuary of a collective identity that spans generations and futures’. Her writing, which boldly showcases its origins and the essence of language, ‘forges connections and communal spaces’. She delves into the boundless nature of literature itself, as ‘every word contains within it an infinite realm’ and reading unfolds endlessly. Helena Mariño, born in Madrid in 1990, is a writer and translator. She has degrees in Law and Political Science from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Comparative Literature from Complutense. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in Spanish from the University of Iowa, where she was a scholarship recipient. Her work explores the intersections of different mediums and languages, post-autonomous writing, archives, and marginalized narratives. Mariño is the author of poetry collections such as ‘This cold is not ours’ (Entropía Ediciones, 2019), ‘The bathers’ (RIL, 2022), and ‘I could put the world’ (Ril, 2025). She has translated Safia Elhillo’s poetry collection ‘The January Children’ (Visor Libros, 2022). In 2024, she received the Literary Creation Grant from the Ministry of Culture to support the writing of her fourth poetry book, ‘Behold the shining word’. She is currently working on her debut essay collection, ‘The visitors’. Mariño is also the mind behind the performance piece ‘This line is a reciprocal space of exchange’, which was honored with the Madrid City Council’s Performing Arts Grants in 2023. Her performances have graced venues like Matadero de Madrid, La Casa Encendida, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Teatro del Barrio, Museo Reina Sofía, Marpoética festival, Nudo festival, and Ex-límite, among others. She has conducted writing workshops at Matadero de Madrid, La Casa Encendida, and Reina Sofia Museum, in addition to curating performing arts and spoken word workshops for various organizations. Mariño is a co-founder and member of the research and creation collective ‘Una fiesta salvaje’, which was in residence at Matadero de Madrid from 2020 to 2023 and at La Casa Encendida from January 2024 to December 2025. The finalist poetry books in this edition include ‘The quietest’, ‘Poems found in the mobile’, ‘Brief news of smoke’, ‘Last witnesses’, ‘Small remnants of love’, and ‘Under the skin, the shadow’. Mayor José María García Urbano of Estepona expressed that this literary competition, organized by the City Council, garners significant interest from poets every year. The fact that over 2,200 submissions were received from all Spanish provinces and nearly all Latin American countries, as well as from countries like Canada, Japan, Jordan, United States, China, Australia, France, England, Portugal, and Germany, underscores the contest’s global appeal. The mayor emphasized Estepona’s dedication to supporting artists and the city’s cultural prominence through its various cultural initiatives. To mark the occasion of the award, the city is hosting several activities today to celebrate the ‘Day of Poetry’ in Estepona. A poetry recital featuring Felipe Benitez Reyes, Aurora Luque, and Miriam Reyes took place at the Concert Hall of the Mirador del Carmen Cultural Center, attended by students from local schools. Later, a poetry recital by singer and songwriter ‘La Bien Querida’ will be held at the exhibition space of the Castillo de San Luis at 18:00. The day will culminate in a gala at the Felipe VI Auditorium at 20:00, featuring a flamenco performance by Lole Montoya, one half of the renowned duo ‘Lole and Manuel’. The event will also see the participation of Laura García Lorca, director of the Federico García Lorca Foundation and niece of the legendary poet.