The head of Culture for the Galician government made this announcement during the tribute event for the writer, held on November 3, 2026, marking the 98th anniversary of his birth, which included a continuous reading of Memorias dun neno labrego at the Neira Vilas Foundation. López Campos was accompanied by the Secretary General of Language, Valentín García.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the Royal Galician Academy's decision to dedicate Galician Letters Day 2027 to Neira Vilas, whom he described as "one of our universal authors and a pioneer of children's and youth literature in Galician with the famous Balbino".
López Campos conveyed the Xunta's commitment to "join these commemorative events immediately" with a "proprietary and quality" program to disseminate his legacy, highlighting his role as an "inexhaustible and prolific editor, researcher, cultural activist, and chronicler of Galicia's emigration," as well as a "pioneering cultural driver of rural Galicia" through the Neira Vilas Foundation.
The minister congratulated the Neira Vilas Foundation for its work in keeping the writer's memory alive and emphasized that "thanks to activities like today's, we highlight the value he gave and continues to give to the literature of our land and the use of our language".
Within the framework of this event, which also commemorated Reading Day, López Campos recalled the Galician government's commitment to creating works in Galician, mentioning grants for editing and distribution, and collaboration in awards like the Xosé Neira Vilas Prize. He noted that the 2027 budgets allocate over three million euros to implementing the Galician Reading Promotion Plan and the General Plan for the Normalization of the Galician Language.
He highlighted that the latest Report on reading habits shows "a significant increase in the percentage of Galicians who report habitually or occasionally reading books in our language," rising from 63.6% in 2024 to 72% in 2025, "an increase of nine points".
Xosé Neira Vilas (Vila de Cruces, 1928-2015), a member of the Royal Galician Academy, was honored with the Castelao Medal and the Gold Medal of Galicia. His work Memorias dun neno labrego (1961) is the most published and translated book in Galician, portraying rural life marked by emigration and poverty.
