Entertainment · Books & Arts · 4 hrs ago
Isabel Allende wins 2026 Planeta Prize for novel continuing The House of the Spirits
Chilean writer Isabel Allende won the 2026 Planeta Prize for her novel La hora antes del alba.
The award, presented in Barcelona, is worth one million euros.
The novel continues The House of the Spirits, which Allende published in 1982, and follows Alba, the family’s granddaughter.
Alba returns home after being tortured by a dictatorship and becomes a chronicler of a turbulent period.
Readers had long asked Allende what happened to Alba after the first novel, and she said that question stayed with her for decades.
Allende said threats to democracy helped prompt her to write the sequel, recalling the fear that led her to leave her country after Chile’s 1973 coup.
The prize means Planeta will publish the winning novel, though no release date was given.
Isabel Allende won the 2026 Planeta Prize for her novel La hora antes del alba, a sequel to The House of the Spirits.
The award is worth one million euros and was announced at a gala in Barcelona on October 15.
The novel follows Alba Trueba after the events of the earlier book and is described by Allende as closing the story’s universe.
Allende said readers had asked her for decades what happened to Alba.
Sergio Hernández was named a finalist and received a prize of 200,000 euros.
- Who
- Isabel Allende won the prize. Sergio Hernández was the finalist.
- What
- Allende won the 2026 Planeta Prize for La hora antes del alba, a sequel to The House of the Spirits.
- When
- October 15, 2026.
- Where
- The award was announced at a gala at Fira Barcelona in Barcelona.
- Why
- Allende said readers had long asked what happened to Alba, and that she felt the time had come to continue the story.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Allende said the military coup in her country forced her to leave.
Allende published The House of the Spirits.
Allende won the Planeta Prize at the gala in Barcelona.
- Winner
- Isabel Allende
- Winning novel
- La hora antes del alba
- Prize amount
- One million euros
- Award date
- October 15, 2026
- Venue
- Fira Barcelona, Barcelona
- Finalist
- Sergio Hernández; prize of 200,000 euros
4 sources
Isabel Allende gana el Planeta dando "cierre" al universo de 'La casa de los espíritus'
Isabel Allende, ganadora del Premio Planeta 2026, agranda su historia como gran dama de las letras
Terremoto editorial: Isabel Allende gana el Premio Planeta 2026 con la secuela de ‘La casa de los espíritus’
Premio Planeta 2026 en directo: autor ganador, novela y última hora en vivo
What people are saying
This novel closes the universe of The House of the Spirits.
When I see so many democracies threatened by nationalism and fascism, I feel again the fear that forced me to leave my country after the 1973 military coup.
This novel is a continuation of that one. It answers the question so many people have asked me about what happened to its protagonist.
These novels have been a mirror of the path we have traveled. In their experiences we found something of ourselves.
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Isabel Allende #PremioPlaneta2026 llevo muchos años viniendo a la entrega de premios, primero como periodista y luego como autora, y nunca he visto a la gente puesta de pie aplaudiendo durante diez minutos,