Writer Receives Award for Project He Hasn't Written Yet

Published on February 12, 2026 | Translated from Spanish
Alfonso J. Ussía smiling, holding a symbolic diploma or plaque, with bookshelves in the background in a library or study.

A Writer Receives an Award for a Project He Hasn't Written Yet

Can you imagine being awarded just for the mere outline of a work? 🧠 Sometimes, the true value lies in the germinal idea, not in the final product. This is exactly what happened to the author Alfonso J. Ussía, who has received recognition for a work that only exists, for now, in his mind and in a project.

Alfonso J. Ussía smiling, holding a symbolic diploma or plaque, with bookshelves in the background in a library or study.

An Award That Invests in Tomorrow

The Libros del Asteroide Non-Fiction Award operates in an unconventional way. It does not recognize a finished book, but supports a proposal, a promise of what it can become. It's like recognizing the merit of architectural plans before building the building. The goal is clear: support the writer so that this project, titled In Extremis, stops being a plan and becomes a tangible reality. 🚀

Key details of the award:
  • Its financial endowment amounts to 10,000 euros, an amount that allows the author to dedicate the necessary time to research and write.
  • This approach explicitly values confidence in talent and the conceptual solidity of an idea, not just its final execution.
  • This is the sixth call for this award, indicating that this model of betting on writers is consolidating and yielding good results.
Awarding the seed is a declaration of faith in the potential of the harvest.

The Meaning Behind the Recognition

This case reminds us that in the creative process, the initial phase can be as crucial as the final one. The award acts as a catalyst, removing practical barriers so that the author can fully concentrate on developing his vision.

What does this model imply?
  • It incentivizes creativity in its purest state, freeing the author from immediate economic pressures.
  • It validates the importance of the project in itself, beyond its state of progress.
  • It builds a relationship of trust between the institution granting the award and the creator.

A Final Reflection on the Creative Process

This award serves as a powerful reminder. Often, the most valuable thing is not the finished object, but the initial spark that generates it. And above all, the fact that someone believes in that spark enough to invest in it. It is a vote of confidence that can make the difference between an idea that stays in a drawer and one that becomes a book. 📖✨