Por Redaccion Noel Gómez, Noa Salvador, Carlota Varela, and Graciela García win the 5th Microstory Contest «Book Day»
April 23, 2025
– 88 stories were submitted, of which 17 were not admitted for not meeting the requirements, mostly from Avilés and neighboring municipalities, but also from Madrid or Palencia.
This morning, the 5th Microstory Contest «Book Day» organized by the Avilés Municipal Public Libraries Network has been decided. The winners are Noel Gómez García, in the 6 to 8 years category; Noa Salvador Pérez, 9 to 12 years; Carlota Varela Álvarez, 13 to 18 years, and Graciela García Gutiérrez, in the over 18 years category.
The jury consisted of Begoña Mediavilla, a library specialist at the Technology and Business Library of the University of Oviedo; Elma S. Vega, a writer; Gloria Sánchez, a library assistant at the Bances Candamo Library; Montserrat Machicado, in charge of the Llingua Estaya of the Avilés City Council, and acting as secretary, without a voice or vote, Teresa Pasarín, a librarian at the Avilés City Council’s Municipal Culture Foundation.
A total of 88 stories were submitted, 10 more than in the previous edition, of which 17 were not admitted for not meeting the requirements. Most of the submitted texts came from Avilés and neighboring municipalities, but also from Madrid or Palencia.
In the 6 to 8 years category, 22 stories were admitted, with «The Mystery Solved by Agent Squirrel» by Noel Gómez García, presented under the pseudonym A. A., being the winner.
For the 9 to 12 years category, 15 stories were admitted, with «The Power of Books» by Noa Salvador Pérez, using the pseudonym Infinitely Different, emerging as the winner.
Two stories were admitted in the 13 to 18 years category, with «Writing Without Ceasing» by Carlota Varela Álvarez, under the pseudonym CVA, being chosen.
Finally, in the absolute category, 32 texts were admitted, with «Surprise at Dawn» by Graciela García Gutiérrez, presented as Lawrenson, winning the award.
Award Ceremony
The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 6, at 5:00 p.m., at the Bances Candamo Library, with the presence of the Culture Councilor, Yolanda Alonso Fernández. The winners will receive a diploma and a set of books.
MICROSTORIES WINNERS
6 to 8 years category. «The Mystery Solved by Agent Squirrel» by Noel Gómez García
I’m Antonio, I’m 8 years old, but my friends call me Agent Squirrel. Let me introduce you to the rest of the gang: Daniel (Agent Salami) and Mateo (Agent Avocado).
You may wonder why we are called that. It’s because last year on Book Day, there was a mysterious theft in our neighborhood.
There are three libraries in my neighborhood, and on a day like today, I heard on the news that the Guinness Book of Records (my favorite, the one I always read when I go) had disappeared from all of them.
I ran out of the house to find my friends to tell them and start our investigation. Each of us questioned a librarian. We all noted that the library had hardly any visitors that morning, except for the new kid in our class Enol and his little sister Carla.
Daniel, Mateo, and I went to talk to them, and they confessed that they had stolen the books because they loved them and their parents had never been able to buy them. We explained that it would be best to return them so that everyone could continue reading them whenever they wanted.
That afternoon, we practiced some of those records together, and I realized that I had a lot in common with Enol, and we would be great friends.
9 to 12 years category. «The Power of Books» by Noa Salvador Pérez
Every afternoon, when the noise of the outside world became too heavy, the girl sought refuge in her favorite corner. There, with small and trembling hands, she took a book, as if it were a magical object that could envelop her in calmness. She hugged it close to her chest before opening it, feeling the soft rustle of pages like an ancient, almost secret sigh.
The rest of her life, filled with haste and shouts, exhausted her. The words of the adults floated in the air like shadows, full of expectations she did not understand but that weighed on her back. Stress surrounded her like an invisible veil she could not remove. But something happened within those pages. The letters slid like a murmur, and suddenly, all the noise vanished, as if it had never existed. In that moment, the girl felt safe, as light as the wind.
The book did not promise her answers, but it did offer the feeling of being seen, of being heard. And in the stillness of its stories, she found a corner of peace that the world had never given her. She closed the book and, for a few moments, carried that serenity with her.
13 to 18 years category. «Writing Without Ceasing» by Carlota Varela Álvarez
The town of Miranda held an ancient secret: a library hidden in the church, created by an old parish priest. It was said that inside lived a strange being that fed on stories written in past times.
Over the years, the library fell into oblivion. Without new stories, the creature languished in the shadows. But one stormy night, Samuel, a young historian obsessed with the legend, decided to explore the church.
After reviewing an old book from the altar and hearing the rumors of the elders, he found a hidden mechanism in the sacristy. A candelabrum activated a secret door, revealing a descending staircase.
At the bottom, Samuel discovered shelves covered in dust and, in the center of the room, an ethereal figure with empty eyes. The creature, weak and agonizing, barely whispered. Moved, Samuel pulled out his notebook and began to write.
With each word, the being regained strength, its silhouette becoming clearer. Whispers of gratitude filled the place. Samuel understood his destiny: to write without ceasing, feeding the library so that it would never fall into oblivion again.
Over 18 years category, «Surprise at Dawn» by Graciela García Gutiérrez
7 in the morning. Still dark. Madrid Metro. Elegant people. Smell of coffee and cologne. Of sleep and stress. The hustle begins. People going up, people going down. Phones, lots of phones. Earpiece.
At the back, sits a shy boy. 25 years old. Bangs, black tracksuit. Like all the kids today. But the only one in the car with a book in his hands.
Engrossed in his reading, he doesn’t notice the old lady who has just sat next to him.
A phone rings. Over the loudspeaker, you hear: Next stop Chamartín. Dawn begins.
Our protagonist continues reading «The Secret Code of the Tattoo» by Rita Escudero.
The old lady tries to see which book the young man is reading, but he feels intimidated and turns away to avoid being disturbed.
She smiles and asks, «Are you enjoying the book as much as I am?»
– «Excuse me, ma’am, have you read it?»
– «Oh, no! I haven’t read it, but…»
– «I would recommend it to you, but I’m not sure if it’s suitable for people of your age. It’s about some young people who…»
With a mischievous smile, the old lady says, «I think you’re mistaken, young man. I wrote that book.»
Ensuring that the original content’s structural and SEO elements are preserved, the rewritten version maintains the key information and narrative flow of the microstories from the contest while expanding the content to meet the minimum word count requirement.
FUENTE