Short story and Essay winners of the 2020 Copé Award

PETROPERU announced the winners of the XXI Short Story Biennial of the 2020 Copé Award. The qualifying jury selected the short story “El dedo en el disparador”, by Miguel Alfonso Ruiz Effio, as the sole winner. The writer will be the recipient of the Copé Gold Trophy.

Likewise, three Honorable Mentions were designated corresponding to the stories "Una madrugada de Verano", by the writer Marcela Claudia Cossíos Meza; "El extraño caso del Señor Panizza", by Christian Elguera Olortegui and the story "Restauración", by Pedro José Llosa Vélez. They will be awarded the Copé Trophy and Diploma of Honor.

Regarding the winning story, the qualifying jury agreed that the structure of the work is based on a fluid dynamic of changes in languages and perspectives, in which the apparent objective discourse reveals an everyday life in tension, taking into account that “El dedo en el disparador” is inspired by real events.

In this edition of the 2020 Copé Short Story Award, the qualifying jury was made up of Teresa Ruiz Rosas, from the Ministry of Culture; Antonio González Montes, from the Peruvian Academy of the Language; Marco Martos, from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Ricardo Sumalavia, from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and Nataly Villena, from PETROPERU.

Regarding the winner of the XXI Short Story Biennial – 2020 Copé Award

Miguel Ruiz Effio studied Administration at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. He was a finalist in the XII, XV, XVII and XX Short Story Cope Award Biennial. He won the Narrative Contest “Ten en Cuento a La Victoria” (2008) and the 2010 José Watanabe Varas Short Story Award from the Japanese Peruvian Association. He is the author of the storybooks “La habitación del suicida” (2006), “Un nombre distinto” (2011), “Y si el olvido un día nos” (2012) and “La carne en el asador” (2016).

Essay Copé Award

On the other hand, David Quichua Chaico was the winner of the 2020 Copé Oro Award, in the Essay category, for his work “De Curaca a congresista. Vigencia de una familia indígena en la política nacional”. The honorable mention in that category went to Víctor Hugo Palacios Cruz, for his work “La forma de nuestra arcilla. La conciencia del cuerpo en un tiempo de encrucijada”.

The award ceremony for the winner, honorable mentions and finalists will be held on Tuesday, January 20, 2021, at 7:00 pm, via the Facebook Live of the PETROPERU Cultural Center.

The winning work, honorable mentions and finalists corresponding to the XXI Short Story and Essay Biennial competition will be published by PETROPERU under the Ediciones Copé label, next year.