# Julian Barnes Princess of Asturias Award activities

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/julian-barnes-princess-of-asturias-award-activities
> Updated: 2026-10-23T17:42:25.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 3.

British novelist Julian Barnes traveled to Spain to receive the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. Upon his arrival in Oviedo, he was greeted at the Hotel de La Reconquista and met with Teresa Sanjurjo, the director of the Princess of Asturias Foundation.

As part of the ‘Toma la palabra’ program, Barnes participated in the cultural project ‘Los vértices de la memoria’. This initiative involved 47 educational centers and received 7,709 works from students who wrote short stories from three different perspectives, inspired by his novel ‘Talking About the Subject’. The project concluded with a session in Gijón, where Barnes met with 238 students and teachers from 39 centers to discuss memory, fiction, and imagination.

During his official award ceremony speech in Oviedo, Barnes challenged the idea that the arts follow a linear, progressive evolution similar to science or technology. He argued that while other fields improve over time, the arts often express ‘new versions of ancient truths’. Using references to William Shakespeare and Don Quixote, he suggested that literature functions as a continuous dialogue between creators across different centuries rather than a succession of superior styles.

## Claims

- Julian Barnes was awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Barnes questioned the idea that the arts follow a progressive evolution where each movement improves on the previous one. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The award ceremony was held in Oviedo. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Barnes proposed that the arts often express new versions of ancient truths. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Julian Barnes was awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The ‘Toma la palabra’ program is promoted by the Princess of Asturias Foundation. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The ‘Los vértices de la memoria’ project included 47 educational centers. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Students submitted 7,709 works for the project. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The event in Gijón was attended by 238 students and teachers from 39 centers. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-23: Julian Barnes questions artistic progress at Princess of Asturias Awards

At the Princess of Asturias Awards, Julian Barnes argued that art does not follow a progressive evolution, but rather acts as a continuous conversation between different eras.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/julian-barnes-questions-artistic-progress-at-princess-of-asturias-awards

### 2026-10-21: Julian Barnes speaks to students in Gijón

Award-winning British author Julian Barnes met with students in Gijón to conclude the ‘Toma la palabra’ cultural project.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/julian-barnes-speaks-to-students-in-gijn

### 2026-10-19: Julian Barnes arrives in Oviedo for Princess of Asturias Awards

British novelist Julian Barnes arrived in Oviedo to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, greeted by traditional bagpipe music and foundation officials.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/julian-barnes-arrives-in-oviedo-for-princess-of-asturias-awards

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Cite as: Julian Barnes Princess of Asturias Award activities. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/julian-barnes-princess-of-asturias-award-activities