Tenerife’s 'Haciendo Historia' Festival to Honor Javier Moro with Núñez de la Peña Prize
Tenerife’s sixth Haciendo Historia festival will honor journalist Javier Moro with the Núñez de la Peña Prize during a ten-day celebration of historical literature and storytelling running from November 20 to 29.
Tenerife is cementing its reputation as a key hub for historical storytelling and non-fiction with the sixth edition of the Haciendo Historia (Making History) festival. The event will honor writer and journalist Javier Moro with the prestigious Núñez de la Peña Prize during a ceremony on November 25 at the Museum of History of La Laguna.
Named after a 17th-century chronicler from Tenerife, this award has become a respected fixture in the national literary scene. The prize, which includes a sculpture by Julio Nieto, joins Moro to a distinguished list of past winners, including Simon Scarrow, Isabel San Sebastián, Luis Zueco, and José Zoilo Hernández, who will host this year’s ceremony.
Moro, who studied anthropology and history, is widely recognized for blending rigorous research with compelling long-form narrative. His work—ranging from the Planeta Prize-winning El imperio eres tú, which explores colonial Brazil, to the biographical Mi pecado—consistently examines major historical events through the lens of individual lives.
The festival runs from November 20 to 29 across San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and El Sauzal. The ambitious program features around 30 authors, including Juan Manuel de Prada, Espido Freire, Paloma Sánchez-Garnica, Jorge Molist, and Mark Rossini, alongside a strong lineup of Canarian writers.
This year’s event centers on four major anniversaries that bridge literature, film, and history: the bicentennial of James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, the centenary of Buster Keaton’s The General, the 90th anniversary of Gone with the Wind, and the 175th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s death. To mark the latter, authors Lorenzo Luengo and Espido Freire will host a series of lectures at the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz, exploring the intellectual world of Villa Diodati.
Supported by the Cabildo of Tenerife, the La Laguna and Santa Cruz City Councils, and various private partners, the festival aims to go beyond the traditional book fair. By combining historical reenactments, masterclasses, and audiovisual events, Haciendo Historia continues to find new ways to connect cultural heritage with modern storytelling.