Yanni Esmeralda Romero Patrón Wins 2026 Young Creation Award in Spain

The award celebrates her poetry collection, “Gardenias de Tepito,” which is rooted in the cultural context of a real-life soccer team composed entirely of transgender players. This team, known as Las Gardenias, has existed in the Tepito neighborhood of Mexico City for about 40 years. Romero Patrón’s work explores themes of metamorphosis, personal identity, and transformation, drawing from this local history to reflect on broader human experiences.

In addition to a financial prize of 12,000 euros, the victory ensures the publication of her collection through the esteemed Visor editorial series. This achievement marks her as a significant voice in contemporary Spanish-language poetry.

The structure of “Gardenias de Tepito” is unique, as it is formatted to mirror the duration of a standard soccer match, lasting exactly ninety minutes. Jury member Luis Antonio de Villena praised the manuscript for its creativity and its youthful perspective on transformation, emphasizing its innovative blend of sports and reflections on marginalization.

The Loewe Foundation International Poetry Prize is highly regarded within the Spanish literary realm, with the latest edition receiving over 3,200 submissions from 49 countries. The Young Creation category encourages new literary talent, allowing poets under 33 years old to participate. In this edition, younger authors represented 22% of the total submissions, highlighting significant engagement from emerging poets.

The jury, chaired by former Royal Spanish Academy director Víctor García de la Concha, recognized Romero Patrón's distinctive approach among a competitive field of manuscripts.

Alongside her accolade, Francisco Ramírez López won the main Loewe International Poetry Prize for his work “Cuatro clavos,” receiving a prize of 30,000 euros. The simultaneous announcements underscore the foundation's commitment to celebrating both established and emerging literary voices.

Romero Patrón's recognition is not an isolated event. Since childhood, she has been building a remarkable literary career, beginning with a first-place win at the Gabriela Mistral Inter-American Poetry Contest at age 12. She also received the National Youth Award for Artistic Expressions and Popular Arts from the Mexican government in 2012.

Her literary accomplishments continue to be acknowledged by jurors and institutions worldwide, making the Loewe Foundation award a significant milestone in her ongoing development as a writer.