David Toscana Wins Alfaguara Prize for 'El Ejército Ciego': A Dark Epic of Defiance

David Toscana is a writer who forges his path through literature without a predetermined map, often describing his writing process as one driven by intuition and spontaneity. This method, characterized by trial and error, has led him to receive one of the most prestigious accolades in Spanish literature—the Alfaguara Prize—this Tuesday for his latest novel, 'El ejército ciego.' The novel is set against the backdrop of the Byzantine wars in the 11th century and is described by the jury as a sweeping epic of the defeated. At the heart of 'El ejército ciego' lies a historical event where Emperor Basil II ordered the blinding of 15,000 Bulgarian soldiers following a military defeat. Rather than adhering to traditional historical narratives, Toscana weaves a dark fable, narrated in the first person, infusing the story with an oral tone that combines testimonies, legends, and a touch of dark humor. The jury commended Toscana for his remarkable ability to transform the grim realities of warfare into a symbolic narrative that reflects themes of power and resistance. Although Toscana insists that he did not write the novel with contemporary issues in mind, he admits that the conflicts of today are present in his work. Living between Mexico, Madrid, and Poland—his wife's homeland—he keeps a close eye on the ongoing war in Ukraine. After receiving the award in Madrid, Toscano remarked, "The times we live in are not for heroes because most of us are not subjected to that crisis that leads you to distinguish who you are." This statement opens up a profound reflection that stretches beyond literature. Toscana points out that Spain has, for a long time, been absent of crises that demand heroics. Instead, he views war as an extreme laboratory for values. What may be regarded as aggression or militarization in times of peace can become virtuous in the face of existential threats. This tension permeates 'El ejército ciego,' where characters, stripped of their sight, fight back against their circumstances, exploring diverse forms of resistance. "Sometimes we are told that we cannot change the world, but we do not live in the world—we live in a cosmos that we can change," Toscana articulated. Born in Monterrey in 1961, Toscana is trained as an engineer but considers writing to be his true calling. He is not a prolific author in the traditional sense, nor does he consume new literature voraciously; instead, he reads obsessively and revisits works by writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Cervantes, Borges, and García Márquez. In his philosophy, Toscana often identifies as a 'worker of literature,' exhibiting a natural distrust of his own writings, sometimes discarding entire drafts. Discipline is his guiding principle, something he has emphasized across various interviews. With 'El ejército ciego,' Toscana joins the ranks of distinguished authors, becoming the fifth Mexican writer to be honored with the Alfaguara Prize, which includes a monetary award of approximately 160,000 euros and a sculpture by Martín Chirino. The novel is set to be published simultaneously throughout the Spanish-speaking world on March 26. This year's competition attracted 1,140 manuscripts from 33 countries, showcasing the international appeal of the prize. In concluding his acceptance speech, Toscana reflected on the timelessness of literature, stating that novels possess the ability to resonate across centuries, maintaining relevance even today. In 'El ejército ciego', that conversation manifests as a powerful epic, filled with characters who, despite being sightless and uncertain, persist in their journey, refusing to be defeated by fate. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2