Atwood to receive Joan Margarit prize May 20

Spain’s King Felipe VI is scheduled to present Canadian writer Margaret Atwood with the III Premio Internacional Joan Margarit de Poesía in Toronto on May 20, according to Spain’s royal household agenda and multiple Spanish media reports. The ceremony is set to take place at Victoria University in Toronto, the reports said. The event falls within Felipe’s May 19-21 official trip to Canada, which Casa Real says will include stops in Ottawa, Toronto and Lakefield. ### Where and when is the award being presented? May 20 is the scheduled date for the presentation, and Victoria University in Toronto is the listed venue. Crónicas de la Emigración reported on May 14 that Felipe will hand Atwood the prize there, and an EFE dispatch published May 13 carried the same date and location. Europa Press also reported the ceremony for next Wednesday, May 20, at Victoria University. (cronicasdelaemigracion.com) Casa Real’s official travel agenda says Felipe will be in Canada from May 19 through May 21, with Toronto on the second day of the visit. The royal household’s itinerary says he will take part in a business forum at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto on May 20. The agenda excerpt available through search results does not spell out the Atwood ceremony, but it confirms the king’s Toronto stop that day. (cronicasdelaemigracion.com) ### What is the Joan Margarit prize? The Premio Internacional Joan Margarit de Poesía is an annual award created to recognize internationally established poets and to promote the work of the late Spanish poet Joan Margarit. The Instituto Cervantes says the prize is a joint initiative of the institute, publisher La Cama Sol and Margarit’s family. The Cervantes description says it is intended for poets from around the world with internationally recognized careers. (casareal.es) July 20, 2023 was the date Felipe presented the first edition of the prize in New York to U.S. poet Sharon Olds, according to Casa Real. A Crónicas de la Emigración report from that year said the award was backed by Instituto Cervantes, La Cama Sol and the poet’s family. Those earlier accounts establish the prize as a recurring international literary event linked to the Spanish cultural institution. (cultura.cervantes.es) ### Why is Margaret Atwood the named recipient? Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist and poet whose work has long placed her among the country’s best-known writers internationally. EFE’s May 13 report identified her as the 2026 recipient and noted her global recognition for “The Handmaid’s Tale.” University of Toronto materials identify Atwood as a Victoria College alumna who earned her B.A. in 1961. (casareal.es) Victoria College has repeatedly highlighted Atwood’s ties to the school where the ceremony is due to be held. A University of Toronto alumni profile lists her academic and literary distinctions, while Victoria College coverage has referred to her as one of the institution’s most distinguished alumni. Those details help explain why Toronto, and specifically Victoria University, is the chosen setting for the presentation. (infobae.com) ### How does this fit into Felipe’s Canada trip? May 19-21 is the span of Felipe’s official visit to Canada, according to Casa Real. The itinerary says he will be received in Ottawa by Governor General Mary Simon on the first day. On May 20, he is due in Toronto for the business forum, and the same day Spanish media say he will present Atwood’s award. (alumni.utoronto.ca) Lakefield is the third Canadian stop listed in the royal agenda for May 21. Spanish press reports said the trip combines diplomatic, economic and cultural engagements. The Atwood ceremony is one of the named cultural events attached to that visit. ### What happens next on May 20? Toronto is set to host both the literary ceremony and Felipe’s participation in the business forum on May 20. (casareal.es) Crónicas de la Emigración said Felipe will also meet members of the Spanish community at Victoria College during the stop. Casa Real’s published travel window runs through May 21, when the king is scheduled to continue on to Lakefield before the trip concludes. (cronicasdelaemigracion.com)