Taranto, 28 April 2024 – Il Alessandro Leogrande Award 2024 was assigned yesterday to Taranto a Francesca Coin with the book “Le grandi dimissioni” (Einaudi). For the “Student Award” section, the editors of our newspapers were awarded ex aequo Agnese Pini with “An autumn in August” (Chiarelettere) and Nancy Porsia with “Mal di Libia” (Bompiani). The shortlist of finalists also included Piergiorgio Casotti with “Uppa” (Italo Svevo) and Ferdinando Cotugno with “Primaveraambiente” (Il Margine).
The ceremony The awards ceremony for this eighth edition of the Leogrande Prize, conceived and organized by the Presìdi del libro association, was held yesterday afternoon at the Fusco theatre, with the finalists interviewed by Giorgio Zanchini. During the ceremony, the president of the Award Orietta Limitone proclaimed the winning title, accompanied by Maria Giannico, mother of Alessandro Leogrande. The Award aims to keep alive the passion and memory of the journalist and writer who, who died prematurely, dedicated much of his work dealing with civil, environmental and social issues.
With Francesca Coin And Ferdinando Cotugno, in yesterday’s ceremony, we talked about the need to find new paradigms to interpret and modify an often difficult and inhospitable reality like the current one; with Piergiorgio Casotti the speech focused on the wonder of a land that represents true otherness. Agnese Pini he showed us how a personal story can become the spring that gives rise to a universal discourse; Nancy Porsia, speaking of courage, he defined his approach to the Libyan issue as very natural, as feeling European also means feeling “Mediterranean”.
The schools that joined the “Tell me about journalism” project, after following a masterclass by Annalisa Camilli, produced a narrative investigation/report. Annalisa Camilli declared the work of the Liceo De Sanctis Galilei of Manduria as the best work with the investigation “Under the surface”, interviews on gender violence.
“In my opinion, the Leogrande prize is a bit unique in our country, in the sense that it is as if Alessandro’s example, his civil commitment, his dedication to everyday reality, his always seeking beyond the appearance of things, almost naturally push us to choose books that have that spirit. Maybe it is difficult to find common themes, red threads – this year the reconstruction of a Nazi-fascist massacre, the story of what happened in Libya, climate activism, or even the lacerating transformations of Greenland or the world of work -, but it that is the spirit, and it is also a tribute to Alessandro’s always generous and inexhaustible research”: this is the opinion of Giorgio Zanchinijournalist and writer, presenter of the evening.
