Spain’s Liber 24 awards a prize for book adaptations

The board of Liber 24 nominates the film adaptation of Francesc Escribano’s book “The Teacher Who Promised the Sea” by director Patricia Font for this year’s Book-to-Screen Award in Barcelona.

Catalan actor and author Enric Auquer in a still from the film adaptation of Francesc Escribano’s “The Master Who Prometió the Sea” by director Patricia Font, which has been nominated for the 2024 Film Adaptation Award at the upcoming Liber Fair in Barcelona. Image: Provided by Liber 24

By Porter Anderson, Editor in Chief | @Porter_Anderson

Appreciation of film adaptations and cultural media programming

AS Publish perspectives As readers know, the Liber publishing fair series in Spain takes place in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​and this time Liber 24 will be held in Barcelona from October 1 to 3.

Every year, the fair, whether in Barcelona or Madrid, announces several award winners. And although the awards ceremony is still more than four months away, the fair’s organizers announced today (19 July) that The master who praises the sea—The teacher who promised the sea— has won the Liber Prize for the audiovisual adaptation of a literary work.

A second award, the Liber Award for promoting reading in the media, goes to a radio program called The Culture by Onda Ceros More than one.

According to the organizers, the official presentation of these two awards will take place on October 2nd at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.

“The importance of teachers”

The master who praises the sea The film is directed by Patricia Font, with a screenplay by Albert Val and produced by Minoria Absoluta, Lastor Media, Filmax and Mestre Films AIE.

By awarding the prize, the FGEE board said it wanted to highlight “how the story of a family involved in the tragedies of the Spanish Civil War was brought to the screen and how important teachers are in our society.”

Based on the novel of the same name by Francesc Escribano, published by Art Blume, the film tells the story of Ariadna (played by Laia Costa), who finds a mysterious notebook and sets out to find her grandfather’s teacher, discovering a story marked by tragedy.

In 1935, Antoni Benaiges (Enric Auquer) gets a teaching position in a small, remote village in Burgos, where he builds a close relationship with his students and promises to take them to the sea for the first time. The daughter learns the story 75 years later.

“Problems related to books”

Carlos Alsina talks about the Liber Prize-winning “La Cultureta” on “More Than One” by Wave Zero Radio. Image: Liber 24

The decision to present the weekly program The Culture is based on the committee’s desire to “highlight how a traditional medium such as radio can pay special attention to issues surrounding books, their authors and the promotion of reading.”

“Every Friday,” says the committee’s justification, “The culture is responsible for talking about the world of art and bringing culture and books closer to the general public.” The segment, moderated by Carlos Alsina, is part of the program, which also includes Librarian therapy with Sergio del Molino, another part of the show that focuses on books.

Liber 24

The entrance to the Fira Barcelona of the Liber 2022 edition. Image: Liber 22

Liber 2024 is organized by Fira de Barcelona and promoted by Federation of Spanish Editors’ Boardsthe Federation of Spanish Publishers’ Unions (FGEE).

It is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Sports; ICEX Exports and Investments; ZEBRA; Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Hall; and the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española AC/E, Gremi d’Editors de Catalunya and l’Associació d’Editors en Llengua Catalana.

At this year’s fair, more than 350 publishers and related companies are expected to be represented with their publication lists as well as products and services from service providers related to the sale and distribution of books.

The fair also usually offers a technical programme with conferences and seminars examining the current status of the Spanish book industry and the state of its value chain.

Visitors to Professiona at Liber 2022 in Barcelona. This year the fair returns from Madrid to the Fira complex in Barcelona. Image: Liber 22

For more information from Publishing Perspectives on book and publishing prices, click here, for more information on the Spanish market, click here, and for more information from Publishing Perspectives on the development of book and text adaptations, click here. For more information on Spain’s industry-focused Liber series of trade fairs in Barcelona and Madrid, click here.