‘Los colores de África’ by Temoris Grecko wins the 4th edition of the Eurostars Hotels Travel Narrative Award

October 3, 2008

“The Colors of Africa: a chronicle of an encounter with the people of South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya”, by the young writer and traveller from Mexico, Témoris Grecko, is the winner of the 4^th edition of the Eurostars Hotels Travel Narrative Award, an event organized by the Hotusa Group in conjunction with the publishers RBA Libros and Barcelona University. The manuscript will be distributed free of charge in the hotel rooms of the Eurostars chain. In addition to this, the winning book will be published in a sales version for bookshops by RBA Libros, to be ready for sale in early 2009.

“The Colors of Africa” is an account of the journey made by Témoris Grecko through various African countries, forming a portrait of the continent and the people who inhabit it. Throughout his travels in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania the author makes the acquaintance of many people and through their testimonies, knits together a critical, alternative history of a continent full of contrasts that harbours an infinite number of religions, ethnic differences and political regimes; a territory where solidarity, generosity and cruelty coexist.

Témoris Grecko is a journalist who defines himself as a traveller by vocation. He combines travel narrative with reports on international politics, society and culture for various publications. He is a columnist for Esquire and National Geographic Traveler (Latin American editions). He also appears in Quo, Vuelo and other magazines. He has been a correspondent in Spain for Milenio Diario and has also written articles for El Universal, Cambio, Expansión or Trip Magazine.

Grecko is a graduate in Social Communication by the Metropolitan University, Xochimilco (Mexico City) and has a Diploma in Political Analysis by the Ibero-American University (Mexico City) plus Advanced Doctorate Studies in Political Theory at the Complutense University of Madrid. His passion for Africa also led him to take part in a Course of African Studies at Madrid’s Complutense University.

An exceptional jury The panel of judges for this third edition of the competition, has comprised writers Ángela Vallvey and Alfredo Conde, and managers of Hotusa Hotels, RBA Libros SA and Barcelona University.

Ángela Vallvey Arévalo (Ciudad Real, 1964) is a notable writer who has at different stages mixed most of the literary genres during her career. Her success as a novelist came with “A la caza del último hombre salvaje (Hunting the last Wildman)”; and in particular, after having obtained the 2002 Nadal Award with “Los estados carenciales (States of Deficiency)”. Her latest novel is entitled “Todas las muñecas son carnivores (All Dolls are Meat-eaters)”.

Alfredo Conde (Allariz, 1945) on the other hand, is best known for his narrative in the Galician language. With “Xa vai o griffón no vento” he obtained the National Narrative Award in 1986 and, five years later, the Nadal Award with his novel in Spanish “Los otros días (Other days)”. Other outstanding works are his books of short stories “Mementos de vivos”, “Memoria de Noa”, “Sempre me matan”, “A casa de Adara”. His novel “Romasanta. Memorias incertas do home lobo (Romasanta, the strange recollections of a Wolfman)” was adapted for a movie.

Written by jesus · Filed Under Narrative