The Biscayan by birth and Valencian by adoption, Rafael Blasco López (1968), has won the “4th edition of the ‘Jorge Alonso Curiel’ International Micro-Story Contest 2025” with his micro-story titled *“Dreaming of Promotion”.
HoyLunes (Valladolid) — After the submission period ended on September 20 and 1,897 entries were received since July 1, the “25 finalists” competing for the seven recognitions — winner, second place, and five honorable mentions — were announced on October 7.
The jury highlighted the winning story for “its fluency, natural tone, and grace in guiding the reader to the final outcome, achieving a humorous and highly effective narrative”.
Second Place and Five Honorable Mentions
The “second place” went to the micro-story “Dinner Time” by Rakel Ugarriza (Lardero, La Rioja, 1977).
A daily-life story in which humor also plays the leading role, the jury praised “the author’s great skill in crafting a finale as surprising as it is hilarious”.
As for the “five Honorable Mentions”, they were awarded to the following micro-stories:
* “Essay on Freedom”, by “Rodrigo Guillermo Torres Quezada” (Santiago de Chile, Chile).
* “Fidel’s Revolution”, by “Daniel Salomone González”(Montevideo, Uruguay).
* “The Rebellion of Rare Earths”, by “Nerea Bautista Rodríguez” (Granada, Spain).
* “Thirst”, by “Melissa Limón” (Mexico City, Mexico).
* “Aimless Imperative”, by “Luis Miguel Ramos Martín” (Madrid, Spain).
Winner
“Dreaming of Promotion”, by “Rafael Blasco López” (Biscay, 1968). Resides in Valencia.
“Left, right, back, forward, and shoot — always the same play. With this coach, we’ll never win in our lives. Promotion is a fantasy, I know that already, so I’ll never get to play on a real grass field.
Not everything is so bad, though. Since they banned smoking, the atmosphere feels different; besides, there are no ultras here, no fights — maybe a few arguments, but that’s all.
The other day, in the south end, there was this brunette — stunning! — and, of course, while we were staring, they scored three goals in a row… then she left.
Honestly, it sucks only being able to look straight ahead. The good thing about playing in this stadium is you never get injured; the bad thing is being stuck forever, skewered by an iron rod…”.
Second Place
“Dinner Time”, by “Rakel Ugarriza” (Lardero, La Rioja, Spain, 1977)
“I keep feeding the children while she tells me she can’t take it another minute. The work outside and inside the house, the race against the clock all day long, and the damned mental load are driving her insane, she screams.
Although they’ve never seen me, the little ones obediently open their mouths each time I bring the spoonful of purée close, never taking their eyes off the TV.
Despite the desperate sobbing that has overtaken the woman, she finishes her glass of wine. Then she grabs the suitcase by the door and, before leaving the house with a slam, tells me that her husband will be home soon — and that he himself can give me the pinch of salt I came up a while ago to borrow”.
A Literary Space of Universal Voices
The “4th International Micro-Story Contest “Jorge Alonso Curiel” 2025” consolidates a literary space that, beyond its competitive dimension, pays tribute to the power of the brief word and to the “sensitive gaze” that characterize the work of its namesake.
Under the name “Jorge Alonso Curiel” — journalist, editor, writer, film critic, photographer, and graduate in Hispanic Philology — this contest has become a meeting point for authors from different parts of the world, united by the desire to tell, in just a few lines, stories capable of moving, surprising, or making readers think.
In its “fourth edition”, the contest reaffirms its commitment to creativity, emerging talent, and the defense of the “micro-story as an essential literary form of the 21st century”.
