During this event, the Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, Francisco Undurraga, in his capacity as minister of faith, announced Circe Maia as the winner of the 2026 Pablo Neruda Ibero-American Poetry Prize, an award granted by the ministry. The decision was made by a jury composed of prominent figures in the field of poetry such as Rosabetty Muñoz (Chile), Lila Calderón (Chile), Carmen Ollé (Peru), Laura Wittner (Argentina), and Andrés Neuman (Argentina), who, after a process of reading, analysis, and deliberation of various authors, agreed on the poet as the winner.
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“I feel great joy for this unexpected award. It is a very pleasant surprise,” said Circe Maia, winner of the 2026 Pablo Neruda Ibero-American Poetry Prize. The author was accompanied by her daughter and was notified remotely in a virtual meeting where the jurors and representatives of the Neruda Foundation joined.
The Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, Francisco Undurraga, mentioned the reasons given by the jury in the minutes for choosing Circe Maia as the winner of this important international award: “Circe Maia’s work manages to combine reflective capacity and communicative gift. Her philosophical depth moves you and, at the same time, the hypnotic simplicity of her tones. Her observations reach a radical amazement that avoids any pretentiousness. Her work has become increasingly elliptical and minimalist, in a process of stripping down that has led her to erect a poetics of thought with an informal appearance, as warm as it is synthetic.”
Created in 2004, the Pablo Neruda Ibero-American Poetry Prize, awarded biennially, is granted by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, through the National Book and Reading Council in conjunction with the Pablo Neruda Foundation. The recognition is given to an Ibero-American author with an outstanding career, whose work is considered a notable contribution to the cultural and artistic dialogue of Ibero-America.
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The award ceremony will be held soon where the author will be presented with her recognition.
Uruguayan poet, essayist, translator, and teacher. She studied Philosophy at the Instituto de Profesores Artigas (IPA) and at the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences. She participated in the founding of the IPA Student Center (CEIPA). Among her main books are Presencia diaria (1964), El puente (1970), Cambios, permanencias (1978), Superficies (1990), De lo visible (1998), Breve sol (2001), Dualidades (2014), Voces del agua (2020), Un río secreto. Poesía reunida (2025) and A nueva luz. Poesía completa (2025).
Throughout her career, she has received numerous recognitions, including being named a member of the National Academy of Letters (2008), the Delmira Agustini Medal (2013), the Grand Prize for Intellectual Work from the Ministry of Education and Culture (2014), two Bartolomé Hidalgo awards (2017), and the International Poetry Prize City of Granada-Federico García Lorca (2023). Until 2020, she continued dedicated to writing, translation, and theatrical activity in Tacuarembó. Her work is considered one of the most significant contributions to Spanish-language poetry in recent decades.
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