Elena Poniatowska, renowned journalist and author from Mexico who received the 2006 IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award, was awarded the Romulo Gallegos literature prize June 26 for her novel El Tren Pasa Primero (The Train Passes First). The prize is awarded every two years for what is judged the best Spanish-language novel. Past winners include Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa.