“Mary John” awarded in Spain

“Mary John”, with text by Ana Pessoa and illustrations by Bernardo P. Carvalho, has been named the winner of the Spanish TodosTusLibros prize, in the category of Best YA Book.

TodosTusLibros is the platform managed by the Spanish Booksellers Association (CEGAL), a bibliographical search and online commerce tool for independent bookshops across Spain.

In its statement, the jury highlights: “Written in the form of a letter, and illustrated with blue vignettes, Mary John is a novella for readers aged twelve and up, which brilliantly captures the adolescent voice. It’s a story of personal growth which is incredibly real, superbly written, with very powerful lines, and which isn’t your typical love story”.

Published by Planeta Tangerina in 2016, “Mary John” has already appeared in Catalan, Dutch and English, as well as the Spanish edition by Elastic Books (translation Nia González), which came out in October 2023, now earning the book this great accolade!