“Kelvins are only awarded in Avilés. Kelvins only travel in the suitcases of their rightful owners. Kelvins are like Thor’s hammer or Arthur’s sword. If the winner of a Kelvin isn’t present to collect it, it will wait faithfully in the Limbo of Expectant Kelvins until it reappears the following year, or the year after that, or the year after that… Kelvins have a Cthulhu-like air about them, so they’re eternal, as you know. And very patient.“
2026 PREMIOS KELVIN 505 FINALISTS : THE YEAR THE KELVINS CHOSE THEIR CHAMPIONS
The air in Avilés, Spain, is thick with the scent of salt and old paper, the kind that clings to the pages of books left too long in the sun.
Celsius 232 is Spain’s premier annual festival celebrating science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature, traditionally held over five days every July in the historic city center of Avilés, Asturias. Named after the metric equivalent of Ray Bradbury’s famous novel Fahrenheit 451, the convention converts the city’s 17th-century arcaded stone streets, public plazas, and cultural centers into a massive, lively gathering for authors, publishers, and genre fans.
The upcoming edition of the Celsius 232 Festival is scheduled to take place from July 14 to July 18, 2026.
The Kelvins are stirring again, restless, waiting for their moment to leap from the shadows of Limbo into the hands of those who dare to claim them.
And this year, the finalists have been named—writers who’ve wrestled with monsters, danced with devils, and carved entire worlds from the raw, unyielding stone of imagination.
In the ring for Mejor Novela Original (Best Original Novel), the contenders are a pack of wolves in literary clothing.
J.V. Gachs’ Impía (Impious) slinks in like a heretic’s whisper, dark and unrepentant, while Antonio Garber’s U.N.I. hums with the cold precision of a machine that might just outthink its creator.
Rosa Montero’s Animales difíciles (Difficult Animals) prowls with the grace of a beast that knows it’s being watched, and Carlos Di Urarte’s Salitre y cenizas (Saltpeter and Ashes) carries the weight of the sea and the ghosts of those who drowned in it.
These are not books; they are incantations, each one a spell cast over the reader’s soul.
Then there’s the Mejor Novela Traducida (Best Translated Novel), where the Kelvins have crossed borders like smugglers in the night.
Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils arrives with the swagger of a man who’s cheated death one too many times, while Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory drags its chains behind it, a story that refuses to let you look away. Gabino Iglesias’ The Devil Takes You Home is a knife twist of a tale, and Anna Starobinets’ Fox Fords (El vado de los zorros / Lis’i Brody) slithers in like a fox through the underbrush, sharp and unpredictable. These are the books that prove translation is not betrayal—it’s alchemy.
The young bloods aren’t to be outdone.
Mejor Novela Juvenil Original (Best Original YA Novel) pits Victoria Álvarez’s La luz en la niebla (The Light in the Mist) against Inés Galiano’s Cuatro dormitorios con piscina (Four Bedrooms with a Pool), a clash of light and water, while Sofía Rhei’s Camden Down and Marina Tena’s Sangre Real (Royal Blood) remind us that the next generation of storytellers isn’t waiting for permission.
And in Mejor Novela Juvenil Traducida (Best Translated YA Novel), Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping stands tall among giants like Fonda Lee’s Breath of the Dragon, Neal Shusterman’s All Better Now, and Laura Steven’s Our Infinite Fates, their words proving that the future of fantasy isn’t just bright—it’s on fire.
And let’s not forget the covers—the silent sirens of the shelves, luring readers in with nothing but ink and promise.
The finalists for Mejor Portada Edición Española (Best Spanish Edition Cover) are the unsung heroes, the ones who make you pick up a book before you’ve even read the first line.
Come July, when the streets of Avilés fill with the laughter of fans and the clink of cider glasses poured from impossible heights, the Kelvins will make their choice.
But until then, they wait. Patient. Eternal. Hungry.
And if you’re smart, you’ll be there to see who walks away with the weight of a legend in their hands.
Finalists have been announced for the 2026 Premios Kelvin 505 Awards, presented by the Celsius 232 Festival and honoring the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels published in Spain.
Mejor Novela Original (Best Original Novel)
Impía (Impious), J.V. Gachs (Dolmen)
U.N.I., Antonio Garber (Menoscuarto)
Animales difíciles (Difficult Animals), Rosa Montero (Seix Barral)
Salitre y cenizas (Saltpeter and Ashes), Carlos Di Urarte (El transbordador)
Mejor Novela Traducida (Best Translated Novel)
Los diablos (The Devils), Joe Abercrombie, tr. Manu Viciano (Runas)
El reformatorio (The Reformatory), Tananarive Due, tr. María Pérez de San Román (La biblioteca de Carfax)
El diablo te lleva a casa (The Devil Takes You Home), Gabino Iglesias, tr. Miguel Sanz Jiménez (La biblioteca de Carfax)
El vado de los zorros (Fox Fords / Lis’i Brody), Anna Starobinets, tr. Viktoria Leftérova & Enrique Maldonado (Impedimenta)
Mejor Novela Juvenil Original (Best Original YA Novel)
La luz en la niebla (The Light in the Mist), Victoria Álvarez (Molino)
Cuatro dormitorios con piscina (Four Bedrooms with a Pool), Inés Galiano (Numak)
Camden Down, Sofía Rhei (Loqueleo)
Sangre Real (Royal Blood), Marina Tena (Loqueleo)
Mejor Novela Juvenil Traducida (Best Translated YA Novel)
Amanecer en la cosecha (Sunrise on the Reaping), Suzanne Collins, tr. Pilar Ramírez Tello (Molino)
El aliento del dragón (Breath of the Dragon), Fonda Lee & Sharon Lee, tr. Antonio Rivas (Hidra)
Ahora todo es mejor (All Better Now), Neal Shusterman, tr. Laura Feijóo Sánchez (Nocturna)
Nuestros destinos infinitos (Our Infinite Fates), Laura Steven, tr. Esther Villardón Grande (Umbriel)
The finalists for Mejor Portada Edición Española (Best Spanish Edition Cover) were also announced.
Winners will be honored during the Celsius 232 festival, to be held July 14-18, 2026 in Avilés, Spain.
Celsius 232 Festival – 2026 Edition
At the 2026 edition, the festival brings legendary names from science fiction literature, comics, and cinema. The total number of visitors to previous editions has consistently reached tens of thousands of fans each year. The events include a strong international component, with panels also held in English.
Confirmed Guests for the 2026 Edition
The 2026 festival (July 14–18) gathers a spectacular lineup of guests from Spain and around the world:
International Guests:
Chuck Palahniuk – Renowned American writer, author of the cult novel Fight Club.
Chris Claremont – Legendary comic book writer who turned X-Men into a global success.
Joe Hill – Best-selling American author (son of Stephen King) and creator of the acclaimed graphic novel series Locke & Key.
Becky Chambers – Hugo Award-winning American author of the Wayfarers series.
Charlie Adlard – Celebrated British artist behind the comic book series The Walking Dead.
Larry Hama – Top American writer and editor, best known for G.I. Joe and Wolverine comics.
Christopher Lambert – The famous French-American actor known for his iconic role in Highlander (The Immortal).
Spanish Guests (Top Authors):
Iván Ledesma – Acclaimed screenwriter and novelist, author of the graphic novel La Vampira de Barcelona.
Nieves Mories, Alba Quintas, and Jess Pires – Among dozens of contemporary Spanish horror and fantasy writers featured on the official lineup.
Miriam Bonastre – Creator of the famous webtoon Hooky, a phenomenal success in the U.S. and Europe.
Attendance Numbers
Since the festival takes place in the central streets and cultural venues of Avilés, admission is completely free and no physical tickets are used.
Therefore, there are no exact figures, but organizers and the city council report that the festival attracts between 10,000 and over 15,000 unique visitors per edition.
Summing up the 14 previous editions, Celsius 232 Festival has generated a cumulative attendance of more than 150,000 participants — fans, journalists, and tourists.
Festival Language: English Panels or Spanish Only?
It is not an exclusively Spanish-speaking festival, but a profoundly international one.
Although most of the audience speaks Spanish, the organizers structure the format as follows:
Panels in English with translation: All major meetings, interviews, and round tables featuring international authors are held in their native language (most often English).
Simultaneous or consecutive translation: The organizers — including co-founder Cristina Macía, herself a renowned translator — provide Spanish translation for the audience, making the events accessible to everyone.
Special guides: Dedicated sections on the official Celsius 232 website are written entirely in English to help foreign fans traveling to Asturias.
For more information, see the Kelvin 505 website:
