Spanish writers María Lara and Laura Lara have won the Algaba Award for the fall of 2015 with their new book, Ignacio y la Compañía. Del castillo a la misión (Ignatius and the Society: From the Castle to the Mission), where they trace, in narrative form, the annals of the Jesuits: from Loyola, their founder, to Pope Francis.

The prominent international contest of research and historical literature is organized by El Corte Ingles’ Ambito Cultural and the publishing house EDAF. During the award ceremony, held at El Corte Inglés at Callao, Madrid, both authors showed their delight and gratitude for the recognition given to their new book by such high institutions. 

In their speech they talked about the field research they did for their book in the U.S.A., Argentina, France and Spain. María Lara told some anecdotes about the course of the research, which was conducted through the revision of several sources –namely documents and compilations on a whole variety of subjects written by members of the order, historical prophecies on the 'Compañía' or its wake in cinema and music, among others. On her part, Laura Lara gave a full account of Ignacio's whereabouts in his time and his followers'  (“men of compass and stirrup”, “spirits without borders”) who were deeply interested in all the facets of knowledge, from anthropology to architecture, from medicine to geology.

María Lara and Laura Lara received the National History GPA. Both are Modern and Contemporary History lecturers at Madrid Open University (UDIMA),. They have also written historical essays as Witches, Wizards, and Unbelievers in the Spanish Golden Age; Civilization and Culture in the Hispanic world; Historical Science, or Social and Political Contemporary History.  In addition, María has published the historical novels The Veil of Promise and Helen's Memoirs.