Dolores Conquero’s Triumph: An Empathetic Deep Dive!
Well, folks, if you thought that empathy was simply holding someone’s hand during a melodrama, think again! Dolores Conquero, a Cantabrian wordsmith who wrangles with feelings more than a contestant on a cooking show, has just bagged the V International Prize Cuadernos del Laberinto de Pensamiento 2024. Yes, you heard it right! She’s taken the crown after battling it out with 36 contenders from 11 countries—now that’s some serious empathy competition!
Her award-winning literary baby, ‘The Pain of Others‘, tackles the almost embarrassing truth of our hyper-connected existence. We live in a time where bad news travels faster than a teenager discovering TikTok. Conquero dives headfirst into the chaotic pool of human suffering—wars, shipwrecks, hunger… you name it, we’ve got the live feed. Are we empathetic heroes or merely sadistic voyeurs watching suffering unfold like it’s reality TV? It’s a bit of a dilemma, isn’t it?
Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate the award announcement. Conquero responded with grace—because why wouldn’t she? Imagine being handed a prestigious accolade and you respond with, “Oh, it’s nothing,” as though you didn’t just win the empathy lottery! Her work encourages dialogue about how we’ll manage the balance between our moral responsibilities as citizens (or decent humans, for that matter) and the need to protect our own sanity. Are we supposed to care or click ‘Like’, folks? And what if I told you that scrolling counts as cardio for your empathy muscles? Talk about a mixed message!
And if you think the title sounds a tad heavy, wait until you see the contents. Conquero does not shy away from making us feel uncomfortable. It’s like having a sit-down with an old friend who always tells you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not—delightfully distressing, with a sprinkle of “Oh no, did I really just say that?” Similarly, her research is laced with data and cultural references that promise to elevate your book club discussion from wine-sipping to philosophical wrestling.
Her credentials? Oh, not to brag, but she’s clocked over a decade writing for El País, steered the ship as section chief at Marie Claire, and dabbled in scriptwriting. And here I thought I was busy! With books that range from poetic musings to cinematic analyses, this woman’s craft is as eclectic as a mixed fruit salad, proving that she can juggle genres like a circus performer in a high-stakes show. If you’re not reading her, are you really living?
The best part? This brilliant piece of intellect will soon grace the shelves in the Anaquel de Pensamiento collection, ensuring that it revolves around in your mind like that catchy song you can’t quite shake off – you know, the one that was playing at the bar when you made questionable decisions?
As we lift our imaginary glasses to Dolores Conquero, let’s remember: these conversations about empathy in an age of overwhelm aren’t just for coffee shops and academia but for all of us. So, feel free to feel something—just don’t overdo it; nobody wants to see you break down sobbing during the next Netflix binge. Cheers to awareness, my friends—because sometimes ignorance isn’t bliss; sometimes it’s just plain irresponsibility!
SANTANDER 21 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The jury of the V International Prize Cuadernos del Laberinto de Pensamiento 2024 has agreed to award the same to the Cantabrian writer and journalist Dolores Conquero for her work ‘The pain of others’ from a total of 36 originals received from 11 countries.
The winning work investigates the excess of empathy and the different ways we have to confront it, all taking into account that never before have human beings had access, live and direct, to so much information and so much pain due to wars, shipwrecks, hunger, injustice or devastation.
Conquero investigates this feeling in an intelligent text loaded with data and references, the publisher has noted.
The winner, upon hearing the news, highlighted the “honor of receiving this award, especially with a work that lends itself so much to debate”, in which she addresses “how we got here and, above all, what we can do to seek the balance between our obligations as citizens, as human beings, and our need to take care of ourselves and live.
The work will be published soon in the Anaquel de Pensamiento collection.
Conquero wrote for ten years in all the supplements of El País, and has been section chief at Marie Claire magazine and editor at Mía. He has also occasionally worked as a television scriptwriter (All men are equal, Spanish version) and collaborated in specialized publications such as Nickel Odeon.
In 1997 he won second prize for the Gerardo Diego Poetry Prize, awarded by the poets José Hierro and Claudio Rodríguez. She is the author of the books Filming! Six ways of making films in Spain, Amores contra el tiempo and Soñé en La Habana; and the collection of poems Before waking up. He has participated in the book Sean Connery: the man who said never again, and in the short story anthologies Amores canallas and Amor y journalism.
