GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Venezuelan poet Rafael Cadenas was named here Monday as the recipient of the 2009 Literature Prize in Romance Languages presented by the Guadalajara International Book Fair, or FIL.

“Lucid and vigilant, Cadenas has never hesitated to break with form, genres and the most frequent discourses within modern poetry,” said the judging panel in its statement regarding his selection, which was announced at a press conference in this western Mexican city.

The trophy, earlier known as the Juan Rulfo Prize, comes with a $150,000 cash award and recognizes the author’s entire body of work.

After receiving the notice of his selection, Cadenas said in a telephone call to the Guadalajara press conference that he has many things for which to thank Mexico, including reading its writers and poets, from whom he said he had learned a great deal.

“What flows out of me is the word ‘thank-you,’” he said.

Born in Barquisimeto in 1930, the poet currently lives in Caracas.

He was part of the Round Table in Venezuela along with Arnaldo Acosta Bello, Jesus Guedez, Angel Eduardo Acevedo, Darlo Lancini, Jose Barroeta and Sanoja Hernandez.

Cadenas is a poet, essayist, translator and author of works such as “Los cuadernos del destierro” (1960), “Falsas maniobras” (1966), “Intemperie” (1977) and “Gestiones” (1992).

He was awarded the National Literature Prize in his country in 1985 and the Perez Bonalde International Poetry Prize in 1992.

Among the winners of the FIL’s prestigious award in earlier years are Mexicans Sergio Pitol (1999), Carlos Monsivais (2006) and Fernando del Paso (2007); Spain’s Juan Marse (1997), Juan Goytisolo (2004) and Tomas Segovia (2005); Argentina’s Juan Gelman (2000); Rubem Fonseca (2003) from Brazil; Portugal’s António Lobo Antunes (2008) and Cuba’s Eliseo Diego (1993).

The 2009 Literature Prize in Romance Languages will be awarded at the 23rd Guadalajara International Book Fair, which will be held from Nov. 28 through Dec. 6. EFE