Carolina Martínez Wins the 2025 Lope de Vega Prize with “El sol del invierno”

The Madrid City Council has announced that playwright and professor at the University School of Arts ERAM, Carolina Martínez López, has been awarded the 2025 Lope de Vega Theatre Prize for her play El sol del invierno, submitted under the pseudonym Krista Auster.

According to the jury, the piece stands out for its unique voice of strong political commitment, the coherence between form and content, its distinctive treatment of dramatic time, and the great scenic versatility it offers.

El sol del invierno is defined as a dramatic monologue with multiple voices, enriched with literary resonances that evoke authors such as Heiner Müller and Emily Dickinson. The text proposes a journey into the abyss of pain and language, reflecting on cultural ruins while offering a critical perspective on contemporary capitalism.

Created in 1932, the Lope de Vega Theatre Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in Spanish-language playwriting. Throughout its history, it has recognized such notable figures as Antonio Buero Vallejo, Fernando Fernán Gómez, and Narciso Ibáñez Serrador.

With this distinction, Carolina Martínez López joins the long tradition of authors who have made the prize a platform for top-level theatrical and literary recognition.