Rodriguez wins Alfaguara literary prize (AP)

MADRID, Spain - Cuban writer Antonio Orlando Rodriguez is the winner of this year's Alfaguara Spanish literary prize for his novel "Chiquita."

The award, which includes a prize of $175,000, is one of the most prestigious in the Spanish language. A total of 511 works were considered, the Alfaguara publishing house, which organizes the prize, said Monday.

The novel's protagonist is Espiridiona Cenda, a diminutive Cuban singer-dancer. The story is set at the beginning of the 20th century.

Rodriguez, born in Ciego de Avila, Cuba, lives in the U.S.