ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks, hiː bɪkˌeɪm ðə fˈɜːst wˈɪnɚɹ ʌvðə fɜːnˈændoʊ lˈɑːɹɹə nˈɑːvəl ɐwˈɔːɹd fɔːɹ hɪz ðˈɛnʌnpˈʌblɪʃt wˈɜːk ˌɛl æmˈɑːɹɡoʊ dˈɑːn də lˌæ bˈɛlɛzə.
In 1996, he became the first winner of the Fernando Lara Novel Award for his then-unpublished work El amargo don de la belleza.