Gianluca Caporaso, children’s writer, is the 2024 “Antonio Statuto” Golden Bearer, a recognition that the Bearers of the Saint assign annually to a Lucanian who has distinguished himself on the national and international scene.
A writer and narrator from Potenza, his children’s publications have sold tens of thousands of copies and his texts are present in the most important series of subsidiary books for primary schools. In 2024, for his latest book, “Il Signor Conchiglia”, he was awarded the Elsa Morante Ragazzi Prose and Poetry Section Prize and the Elsa Morante Scuola Super Prize, voted by a jury of 10,000 children from Italian schools across the world. He boasts a long experience of solidarity and was the leader of a network of voluntary associations in the city of Potenza which built various solidarity and participatory projects. Caporaso, member of the artistic collective La luna al guanzaglio, in 2017 created and launched the children’s literature festival, La città delle infanze, in Potenza.
“In addition to being a leading Lucanian author on the Italian literary scene, Gianluca Caporaso defines himself as “a person who tries to weave community threads”. These words – they explain from the association – made us recognize a common mission: Caporaso is not only an extraordinary pen but, like the Bearers, it lives and animates the associative contexts, in the name of inclusion and participation. This thread that unites us gives an even deeper meaning to the award we confer on him.”
“I dedicate this award to all the children of the city – declared Caporaso – hoping that through narratives and stories they can become ambassadors of a culture of encounter, dialogue and peace.”
The Bearers of the Saint thank the Potenza artist Manuela Telesca who, like every year, creates the prestigious award, which will be awarded during the Potenza Folk Festival.
The award was born in 2011 and over the years it has rewarded personalities who operate in the most disparate sectors, recognizing in the winners not only their notoriety but also their ability to convey the values and culture of our region beyond regional borders. Since 2022, the award has been named after Antonio Statuto, bearer of the saint who died prematurely, as well as a deserving citizen of the city of Potenza who dedicated himself to the community through sport and active participation in the associative fabric.
