On Saturday 8 June, in the setting of the sixteenth-century Episcopal Seminary of Rovigo, the awards ceremony of the “Cristina Campo” International Literary Competition 2024 took place. The Ferrara publishing house Faust Edizioni of Fausto Bassini saw the triumph of two of its authors, Daniela Fratti and Pier Luigi Rainieri, who received, for their respective works, a precious sculpture by the world-famous glass artist Jone Suardi, unique pieces made entirely by hand for the occasion.
As the journalist Angioletta Masiero, President of the Jury, recalled at the opening of the ceremony, 498 books were received for the second edition of the “Cristina Campo”. An exorbitant number of works, which made the Jury’s work truly laborious and complex. However, the commitment was also very satisfying due to the profound and high-level contents, both expressive and literary, of the volumes in competition. Four selections were carried out, until reaching the last selection with over 60 works divided into four categories (published fiction, published non-fiction, unpublished poetry, books translated from various languages). The final “shortlist” of overall winners was narrowed down to 37 books, while the remaining finalists will receive a mention of merit.
The event was sponsored by Fideuram – Intesa San Paolo, the Province of Rovigo, the Municipality of Rovigo and Wikipoesia.
These are the reasons for the Second Prize for Edited Fiction awarded to Daniela Fratti for the volume “The healer and the fear. Historical novel at the end of a dynasty”:
«With a degree in Medicine and Surgery, a master’s degree in Psychopathology and Forensic Sciences, Daniela Fratti has long dedicated herself to historical research in Ferrara, focusing in particular on the figure of the poor woman between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. She is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction publications, she is a member of the Academy of Sciences of Ferrara and of the Soroptimist International Club of Ferrara.
“The healer and the fear” is a historical novel that follows the previous “The healer and the customs officer” and sees the protagonists, Antonia and Alfonso, deeply in love, experience dramatic situations. Theirs is a love made of complicity and sharing.
Set in Ferrara in the years between 1592 and 1598, this splendid novel with an engaging and exciting rhythm takes us through court crimes, betrayals, revenge, brutal murders…
Daniela Fratti’s narrative ability is extraordinary, managing to completely immerse the reader in the events, in the dialogues, in the descriptions of places and characters.”
Pier Luigi Rainieri was awarded the Jury Prize for Published Fiction for the work “Racconti Ferraresi”, with the following reasons:
«Originally from Ferrara, two degrees, one in Modern Literature, the other in Medicine and Surgery, still a volunteer doctor at the Caritas of Ferrara, Rainieri was able to outline, page after page, portraits of unforgettable characters against the backdrop of familiar settings.
With a fluid and knowledgeable style, the author observes, attentively, real life and the human soul.
Twelve stories that have both rural and city settings, presented in a temporal order that goes from the Risorgimento past to the fascist period, up to the present day. Very human stories that enter our hearts and tell us about courage, commitment, the ability to choose, will, the value of feelings, the beauty and mystery of living.”
Participating, among others, were Swiss, German and Spanish publishing houses as well as well-known national publishing houses
