Another beautiful page is being prepared for the Antonio Semeria International Literary Prize, which in eleven editions has involved more than two thousand writers, reaching for the 2024 edition the record figure of 480 members, coming from all over Italy, from neighboring France, from Switzerland and the United States. The most attended edition ever.
The ceremony will open tomorrow Saturday 22 June in the Casino Opera Theater with the awarding of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the two Grand Trophies. They will be delivered respectively to Prof Vittorio Coletti, to Carmine Abate for the novel “A happy country” (Mondadori) and to Giuseppe Lupo for the work “Tabacco Clan” (Marsilio)
“Having passed the tenth anniversary mark, the Prize sails surrounded by the great attention of the hundreds of writers and poets who participated, uniting their voices with that of this literary moment which completes the cultural offering of our Casino. In this context, not only great protagonists of contemporary knowledge but also diversified literary expressions are brought to the attention of the ever-growing public, offering them an authoritative stage. ” He claims the President and CEO Dr. Gian Carlo Ghinamo – “Applauding the increasingly strong success of this cultural event, we thank the Honorary Committee for its closeness, chaired by HE the Prefect of the Province of Imperia, Dr. Valerio Massimo Romeo. A heartfelt thank you to Prof. Stefano Zecchi, to the technical jury, to the popular jurors and to all those who honor us with their participation and collaboration. Our warmest congratulations to Prof. Vittorio Coletti, who will celebrate his brilliant literary career with us and to Carmine Abate and Giuseppe Lupo for the importance of their works.“
The technical jury of the Sanremo Antonio Semeria Casino International Literary Award has also chosen the three finalists who will appear before the popular jury, responsible for deciding the final ranking.
These finalists, in alphabetical order of the “Unpublished Poetry” section
Paul Catholic with the anthology:” Second order song” ( Milan)
Sarita Massai with the anthology:” The time for courage” (Sovicille)
Federico Pacchioni with the anthology: “ Countries and characters “ (Chapman University California)
Jury Mention a Anna Littardi with the anthology “Life is nothing but a deception” (Imperia).
For the Unpublished Fiction section:
Costa wins for the work : Hard times for the cats of Palermo (Agrigento)
Laura Giorgi for the work Sea of Lapis Lazuli (Grosseto)
Giuseppe Pellizzeri for the work: The long night of Dr. Lo Cascio (Messina)
Honorable mention to Olimpia Tedeschi for the work “Like the stars” (Naples)
Jury Mention for Donato Maglio for the work : Flowers are born in Auschwitz too (Genoa)
Three stories themed “120 years of Casino di Sanremo” have been chosen to be published in the anthology which will be released in 2025:
Franca Acquarone for the story: “1923 The Girl with Roses” (Cuneo)
Roberto Carvelli for the story “Spokes and Chips” (Rome)
Marco Silvano Corradi for the story “Written on sand” (Sanremo)
Two awards will be given to as many publishing houses rooted in the territory for their lasting commitment to supporting literature. They will receive the “mention” plaque Fusta editore and Villa Biener by Judith Torok and Carlo Maglito.
The ceremony scheduled for tomorrow Saturday 22 June at 4.00 pm in the Opera Theater of the Sanremo Casino will be moderated by the journalist, essayist and writer Mauro Mazza, with the contribution of Paola Monzardo, Carlo Sburlati, Marino Magliani, Matteo Moraglia, Marco Mauro and Marzia Taruffi.
The award, which honors the presidency of prof. Stefano Zecchi, it was named after Antonio Semeria, an illustrious personality from San Rema, an excellent professional, public administrator, publisher, who passed away in 2011, who, having been appointed President of the Casino in the 1980s, supported the birth of “I Tuesday Letterari”, as a continuation of “IMonday Letterari” by Luigi Pastonchi. Antonio Semeria promoted the cultural initiatives, well aware of how the Gaming House had to protect and preserve its heritage and its image as a literary salon and play centre.
The event will be enlivened by the presentation of the project.”Sanremo Quartet”, a string quartet (2 violins, Viola and Cello) built by the master luthier Fabrizio Ragazzi. Each instrument is dedicated to a musician who was a member of the famous “Sanremo Quartet” which in the 1930s represented one of the most important artistic expressions of the city of the Casino, directed and created by the first violin, the already well-known Aldo Ferraresi. The “Quartetto di Sanremo” Project is also a historical publication edited by Freddy Colt. The luthier Fabrizio Ragazzi was born in Ferrara in 1965. He graduated with top marks in Violin and Viola and has carried out an intense concert activity both in Italy and abroad, collaborating with symphonic opera bodies and musical academies. He alternates the musical profession of instrumentalist with that of teacher and luthier. After about 20 years of orchestral activity as “Prima viola” in the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra, he is now a violin teacher at the “Centro Levante” comprehensive institute in Sanremo. In 2018, at the 9th ANLAI competition for 100 years of violin making in Bulgaria, he received the “ANLAI Award” for his personality and loyalty to the Ferrara violin-making tradition.
Roll of Honor of the Award : Giordano Bruno Guerri, Marcello Veneziani, Mauro Mazza, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Marco Buticchi, Andrea Vitali, Mara Fazio, Bruno Morchio, Mario Vattani, Saverio Simonelli., Enrico Vanzina, Mario Baudino, Elena Pontiggia, Riccardo Nencini, Maurizio Maggiani, Pupi Avati , sen. Elena Cattaneo, Carlo Miccichè, Claudio Paglieri, Mons. Giulio Dellavite.
“Semeria” Lifetime Achievement Award to the prof. Giuseppe Conte, to prof. Francesco Sabatini, to prof. Aldo A. Mola.
The Honorary Committee of the Award is composed as follows: President HE the Prefect of Imperia, Dr. Valerio Massimo Romeo, the Commissioner Dr. Andrea Lo Iacono, the President of the Court of Imperia, Dr. Edoardo Bracco, the Mayor of Sanremo Alberto Biancheri, Admiral Sergio Liardo, the Magnificent Rector prof. Federico Delfino, the Minister of Culture Dr. Gennaro Sangiuliano, writer, essayist, Dr. Demetrio Brandi, artistic director of Luccautori, the senator Avv. Gianni Berrino, the Councilor for Culture, the Board of Directors of the Sanremo Casino composed of the President and CEO Dr. Gian Carlo Ghinamo, from the advisors lawyer. Lucia Artusi and Dr. Eugenio Nocita.
The technical jury is made up as follows: President Matteo Moraglia, historian. Honorary President Prof. Francesco de Nicola, professor of Contemporary Literature at the University of Genoa. Members: Prof. Elisa Rosa Giangoia, teacher, writer, essayist, Paola Monzardo Semeria, Dr. Donatella Salucci, Dr. Armando Nanei, Dr. Giuseppe Felice Peritore, the journalist Mauro Mazza, former director of Tg1, writer and essayist, prof. Aldo A. Mola, the writer Mario Baudino, the journalist Carlo Sburlati, former patron of the Acqui History Prize, the writer Marino Magliani, Marco Mauro, surgeon, passionate historian, the lawyer. Prof. Tito Lucrezio Rizzo, Fabrizio De Ferrari, journalist and publisher, Marzia Taruffi, head of the Press-Culture Office of the Gaming House, General Secretary of the Award.
Vittorio Coletti he is professor emeritus of History of the Italian language at the University of Genoa and academic of Crusca. He published with Einaudi From Monteverdi to Puccini. Introduction to Italian opera (in 2017) e History of literary Italian. From its origins to the 21st century (in 2022). He is also the author of Words from the pulpit (Marietti 1983 and CUSL 2006), Novel world (il Mulino 2011), Excesses of words (Cesati 2012), The missing Italian (il Mulino 2018) e New grammar of adult Italian (the Mill in 2021). He directed with Francesco Sabatini Sabatini Coletti. Dictionary of the Italian language (Sansoni 2008). The last commitment is the essay “Figures of the Crisis 1” (Il Canneto editore).
Carmine Abate was born in Carfizzi, an Arbëresh town in Calabria. He emigrated to Hamburg as a young man and now lives in Trentino. As a narrator, he made his debut in Germany with Den Koffer und weg! (1984) and in Italy with Il Ballo Tondo (1991), which was followed by successful collections of short stories and novels. His books, winners of prestigious awards, have been translated in numerous countries. With La hill del vento (2012) he won the 50th Campiello Prize. In 2013 he published Il baci del Pane (Mondadori, 2013). In 2015 he produced The Happiness of Waiting (Mondadori). In 2016 The wedding banquet and other flavors (Mondadori 2016). In 2018 The wrinkles of the smile (Mondadori). In 2019 The Tree of Fortune (Aboca 2019) The Seeker of Light (Mondadori 2021), His latest work is A Happy Country (Mondadori 2023)
GGiuseppe Lupo he is a professor of contemporary Italian literature at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan and Brescia. He is the author of novels and essays, with which he has won numerous literary prizes, including the Viareggio-Repaci prize and the Selezione Campiello prize, and collaborates on the cultural pages of «Avvenire» and «Sole 24 Ore». He is a consultant at the publisher Marsilio.
He directs the “Novecento.0” series at Hacca Editore and the “Atlante literaryo” series at Morcelliana-Scholè.
He collaborates on the cultural pages of “Sole-24Ore”.
He is part of the Amici della Domenica (Strega Prize) and of the following literary prize juries: Giuseppe Berto Prize, Business Literature Prize, Giuseppe Dessì Prize, Carlo Levi Prize, Omegna Prize and, for the year 2018, Mondello Prize. He is the author of the novels “The American of Celenne” (Marsilio 2000; Giuseppe Berto Prize 2001, Mondello Prize, Prix du premier roman 2002), “Ballo ad Agropinto (Marsilio 2004), “La carovana Zanardelli” (Marsilio 2008; Grinzane Prize Cavour-Carical Foundation, Carlo Levi Prize), “The Last Bride of Palmyra” (Marsilio 2011; Campiello Selection Prize; Vittorini Prize), “Travelers of clouds” (Marsilio 2013; Giuseppe Dessì Prize; translated into Hungary), “L ‘tree of rooms” (Marsilio 2015; Alassio Centolibri Award; Frontino-Montefeltro Award; Palmi Award), “The years of our enchantment” (Marsilio 2017; Viareggio Award, Corrado Alvaro Award, Acri-Padula Award), “Brief history of my silence” (Marsilio 2019), “Il pioppo del Sempione” (Aboca 2021), “Tabacco Clan” (Marsilio 2022), from the collection of writings “Imaginary Atlas. Names and places of a phantom geography” (Marsilio 2014) and of the literary reportage “In Prague with Kafka” (Giulio Perrone Editore 2020).
