Although we fall back into the cliché of being a thermal establishment linked to wellness and health, this Spa of Puente Viesgo is closely linked to CULTURE (with capital letters): Great writers, nobles, princes have come "to take the waters", the Caves of Puente Viesgo, a World Heritage Site and its conferences on prehistory, the music days, monologues organised by the town council of Puente Viesgo, the centenary spa building itself, .......

After the 84th edition of the Madrid Book Fair, the III Short Story Competition of the Puente Viesgo Spa was held. The jury was made up of Ms Eva Orue, Director of the Madrid Book Fair - Ms Maria Oruña, one of the queens of the detective novel - Mr Oscar Villegas, Mayor of the Puente Viesgo Town Council and Ms Angeles Pérez, Manager of the Gran Hotel y Balneario de Puente Viesgo.

After reading all the works submitted (the deadline for which was 8 July) each member of the jury cast their vote, which was again unanimous as in previous years, the winner being Ms. CRISTINA FERNANDEZ VALLS and her story "VANESSA" (see attached file).

Ms Fernandez Valls, who lives in the United Kingdom, visited the stand of the Balneario de Puente Viesgo at the last edition of the Madrid Book Fair where she gathered the information to be able to participate.

After communicating the result of the Jury and the congratulations of all its members, Ms Cristina Fernandez told us how happy she was because she grew up in Cantabria, she visited several times the Spa of Puente Viesgo, celebrating a family event some years ago...

The story can be read in the attached file  IIShortCelato2025 

Cristina Fernández Valls was born in Soria in 1983 and has an extensive academic curriculum: she holds a degree in Architecture from the UPM, a degree in Literature from the UHI and a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow and has several publications that have earned her several important awards: she has published Jack Mullet of the Seven Seas with SM, with which it won the Barco de Vapor Award in 2022 and Full moon lullaby with Anaya, with which he won the City of Malaga Prize for Children's Literature in 2023.

He has also published short stories and poems in such prestigious magazines as From Glasgow to Saturn and New Flash Fiction Review, (www.cristinafernandezvalls.com)

Like the winners of previous editions, Ms Fernandez Valls will enjoy her prize consisting of a relaxing weekend stay at the Puente Viesgo Spa (with various spa services) which we hope she will enjoy and which will be another source of inspiration for a future literary work.

Many congratulations again and we are proud that the winners positively surprise us with their cultural background.

Iñaki Bedia Abio

Commercial, Marketing and PR Dept.

www.balneariodepuenteviesgo.com