Planeta Winner Del Val: Public Defines Success
Planeta Prize 2025 winner Juan del Val, promoting his novel "Vera, a love story," discussed the prize controversy and affirmed his focus on public reception and sales over critical reviews during his recent tour.
Juan del Val, who won the Planeta Prize 2025 for his novel "Vera, a love story," recently completed a promotional tour. This tour highlighted his unique view on literary success and criticism. In a recent interview with DIARIO DE AVISOS during his visit to Tenerife, where he appeared with fellow award finalist Ángela Banzas, Del Val discussed the controversy often linked to the prize. He focuses more on what the public thinks of his work.
The writer, known for previous books like "Candela" (Primavera Prize 2019), "Delparaíso" (2021), and "Bocabesada" (2023), presented "Vera, a love story" at the El Sauzal Theater. The novel tells the story of a woman who, after 20 years in a relationship, decides to change her life and discover herself. It explores different kinds of love and the age, social, and background differences between the main character and a younger man from a different background. Del Val noted his ongoing interest in female characters, which he says is easy for him and well-received by his female readers.
He chose Seville as the setting for "Vera" because he sees it as the perfect place for intense love stories. When it comes to writing, Del Val doesn't follow strict plans. Instead, he lets the story and characters develop naturally as he writes, hoping to surprise himself and, in turn, his readers.
Del Val said the negative reactions after he won the Planeta Prize were expected. He measures success by how readers accept his books, how many copies sell, and how often they are recommended. He doesn't give much importance to media reviews or social media comments. He reinforced this view during public events, like the one in Tenerife, where he values direct interaction and the different ways people interpret his work, calling it "essential."
Currently, Del Val is on a long promotional tour, which brought him to the Canary Islands for the first time, where he met Ángela Banzas again. Despite his busy schedule, he always finds time to think up new stories. He maintains a "writer's gaze," always looking for anything that could become a story. He sees journalism and literature as separate fields, though he admits his direct writing style might be influenced by his background in journalism.