The National Prize for Literature is awarded biennially, in odd-numbered years, by the Ministry of Education and Science, to "books in the genres of poetry, narrative, essay, or theater, written in Spanish or Guaraní, by Paraguayan or foreign authors with at least five years of residence in Paraguay." It was established in 1990 by Law No. 97/90, which also created the National Prize for Science, awarded in even-numbered years. This was updated by Law No. 1149 in 1997.