The Ministry of the Presidency has published in the DOGV the new rules that will regulate subsidies to promote the use of Valencian in the llibrets of parties of 2027. This step comes after months of unease within the Fallas community and local politics, where it was even alleged that the previous model prioritized invoices from printing above literary talent. Now, the Consell is modifying the evaluation criteria in search of a consensus shaken after the controversies of the last call for applications.
The CEO of Politics Linguistics, Vicent SatorresSatorres has argued that this restructuring is a direct result of dialogue with festival representatives. According to Satorres, the feedback received during the first year of the previous regulations has helped to adjust the rules to the "real needs of these publications, especially the Fallas booklets."
Change of course after unrest in regions
The review is not a coincidence. The guidelines set for 2026 caused outrage in municipalities with deep-rooted Fallas traditions, such as DéniaFrom the region, voices like that of the councilor of Commitment Valen Alcala They openly criticized the Consell for "emptying the awards of content". by prioritizing the cost of editing, the thickness of the book, or outsourcing over criticism, poetry, or historical research.
With the new resolution, the technical assessment is reorganized. Linguistic appropriateness and correctness according to the regulations of the Valencian Academy of the Language They will accumulate up to 20 points, the same maximum number awarded for the design, layout, and printing section. Meanwhile, the cultural and literary quality and the book's thematic focus will add up to 15 points, the same number reserved for measuring the presence of articles in Valencian.
The evaluation committee will also take other important factors into account. The overall length of the text in Valencian may contribute up to 10 points, while print run, distribution through electronic media, and the presence of advertising written in the language will each add another 10 points.
Seventy-five awards for the Fallas world
In the specific case of the Fallas committees, the procedure will rank the llibrets (booklets) from highest to lowest score after evaluating the first four main criteria. The final result will determine the distribution of the 75 awards from the Valencian Government destined for these publications. A total of 25 awards will remain in the city of Valencia, while the remaining 50 will be distributed among the commissions of the rest of the Valencian Community, where the failures People from Dénia regularly compete.
The regional government insists that the llibrets (festival program booklets) are not simply a printed formality, but a fundamental platform for disseminating linguistic heritage. Many of these celebrations enjoy the highest institutional recognition: the Fallas of Valencia They have been recognized as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO since 2016, while the Fogueres of Sant Joan de Alacant to Moors and Christians de Alcoi They hold the declaration of intangible cultural heritage.
