This annual award is named after Prof. Luis Leal, a major literary critic of Latin American, Mexican,and Chicano Literature. He was one of the early scholarly champions of the concept of Chicano literature. Since his retirement from the Univ. of Illinois, Leal has been a major presence at UCSB andin the Santa Barbara community. The Leal Award is presented to a Chicano/Latino writer in the United States whose body of work has achieved national and international reputation.
This year's award goes to Patricia Mora.
Past recipients are:
2007 - Alejandro Morales
2006 - Helena Maria Viramontes
2005 - Denise Chavez
2004 - Rudolfo Anaya
2003 - Oscar Hijuelos |
