Belén López Peiró has been named a finalist of the 2026 Lumen Novel Prize for her work Estado de distancia.
The jury, comprising the writers Ángeles González-Sinde, Elena Medel and Sabina Urraca; Lola Larumbe, director of the Rafael Alberti bookshop in Madrid; and María Fasce, literary director at Lumen, wished to highlight the high quality of the manuscripts received and has decided to name López Peiró’s novel as a finalist in this edition; the book is due to hit bookshops in the first quarter of 2027.
The Lumen Women’s Prize, held between 1994 and 1999, was conceived as an award to discover literary talent amongst women and, during those years, featured a highly prestigious jury comprising Nora Catelli, Ana María Matute, Ana Maria Moix, Cristina Peri Rossi, Elena Poniatowska and the publisher Esther Tusquets. Among the prize’s past winners are such iconic authors as Alicia Giménez Bartlett or Clara Usón.
The competition returned in 2023, determined to continue recognising and discovering great female authors. In this 2026 edition, the winner is Paula Klein with El amor inventado.