Nueva Madre, Arrate Hidalgo’s Spanish translation of “The New Mother,” is on the final ballot for the Premio Ignotus award, an honor voted on by members of the Asociación Española de Fantasía, Ciencia Ficción y Terror, its partner organizations, fans who opted into an open enrollment period for participation, and members of the Hispacón convention. I’m in the category for Best Foreign Story, which as I understand it is for any translated work shorter than novel length that was first published in Spain in the past year. The other nominees for the category include familiar names Rachel Swirsky and Aliette de Bodard, an author named Michael Wehunt with whom I wasn’t previously familiar as he seems to write mostly horror, and one other. The fifth nominee, to my astonishment, is Louisa May Alcott, for the Spanish translation of “The Abbot’s Ghost.”
Never in my life did I expect to be able to say I was in competition with Louisa May Alcott for a literary award (though Nueva Madre certainly offers a new take on the notion of little women). So for that novelty, as well as the nomination itself, I’m grateful for all the Premios Ignotus voters.