2007 UCE Prize in Literature Awarded to René Rodríguez Soriano

2007 UCE Prize in Literature Awarded to René Rodríguez Soriano

San Pedro de Macorís, DR.– René Rodríguez Soriano, with his novel “El Mal de Tiempo” (Evil of the Time) won the UCE National Literary Award for 2007 as the Central University of the East (UCE) celebrates the 37th year anniversary of its founding in this city.

Rodríguez Soriano, who at the time of the award was in Chicago participating in the First Meeting of Bilingual and Spanish Publications, was asked about the theme of his book. He characterized it as a “strange diary that looks at the difficult years of the 70s in a country dominated by an erudite despotic octogenarian the text of which, like the scenery it describes, is a concert full of contrasts, where music, sun, color and a certain Caribbean magic are a substantial part of the stories that are so true as to be almost unbelievable.”

The prestigious website of the University of the Dominican Republic published that the UCE selecting jury included authoritative critic and essayist Dr. Diógenes Céspedes, recipient of the Dominican Republic’s National Prize for Literature in 2007 and well-known journalists and writers Francisco Comarazamy and Rafael García Romero. 

The presentation of the award will take place on Friday October 26 in the Auditorium of the Central University of the East (UCE) under the auspices of university rector Dr. José Hazim Frappier and other prominent academic authorities as well as renowned personalities in the field of art and literature.

René Rodríguez Soriano, author of more than ten books of narrative, poetry and essays, won the National Short Story Award in 1997. He is a native of Constanza, the Dominican Republic. Among his most important works are “Her Name, Julia,” “I Harbor no Resentment, Father,” “The Devil Knows the Devil,” “The Radio and Other Boleros,” “The Music Stays,” and “Every Once in Awhile.” The latter was published by Imago-Mundi publishers in Puerto Rico.

Recently, during the Centenary Celebration marking the founding of the city of Constanza, Rodríguez Soriano presented his latest book of poetry “Apunte a lápiz”, published by Ediciones Paso Bajito, in various cities throughout the country.