Fordongianus. The awards for the Forum Traiani literary prize will be awarded on September 15th, with a ceremony to be held in the conference room of the Sardegna Grand Hotel Terme. The winners of the different categories were announced today. Getting first place in the narrative section, after the initial selection and inclusion in the final “five”, was Aurora (HarperCollins, 2023) by Giorgio Nisini. Second place for The shadow of the Holy Office (Nutrimenti, 2022) by Vindice Lecis, while the third place is Call it love (Carabba Edizioni, 2023) by Francesca Romana Fabris. In the section dedicated to poetry, Laura Pugno came out on top with The names (The Ship of Theseus, 2023). Second place for From the afterlife. War poems (Pointahead of editions, 2023) by Carlo Focarelli, and third place for The fires of Manikarnica (Pointa(edizioni, 2020) by Daniela Raimondi. As for non-fiction, first place goes to Andrea Agliozzo with Change into another voice. Metrics, history and society in Franco Fortini (Quodlibet, 2023). Second step of the podium for Antonio Di Grado with The Shadow Brigade. Writers and artists in the Spanish war (La Nave di Teseo, 2023), and third for Gabriele Fichera with Romano Bilenchi: History and anthology of criticism 1938-2018 (Cadmo Editions, 2022). Finally the Special jury prize goes to Marco Capriotti with Poetic improvisation in eighteenth-century Italy, vols. 1 and 2 (Accademia dell’Arcadia, 2022). The jury, chaired by Massimo Onofri, also chose to award two figures with great expertise in the field of the humanities: for career achievement, to Attilio Mastino, rector emeritus of the University of Sassari, who has dedicated his career to teaching and research in the field of Roman history and epigraphy, and for literature, to the writer and essayist Fausta Garavini.
«I express my congratulations, my most sincere congratulations to all the award winners – comments Mario Zedda, president of the Cultural Association National Literary Prize Forum Traiani, organizer of the initiative –. Also during the third edition of the Prize we recorded a great participation by writers, poets and essayists from all the Italian regions, with the exception of Valle D’Aosta, and from 13 foreign countries. 392 texts were received, 374 were admitted: 243 narrative texts; 36 non-fiction; 95 poetry collections. 141 Italian publishing houses are represented. We therefore have good reason to be satisfied once again with the trust that the authors have placed in us. Since its foundation, our Prize has sought to distinguish itself in the Sardinian and national literary scene for its “democratic” openness, which allows free and open participation to all authors, from the most important to those who present self-produced works. With the next edition we will create the “Premio Forum Traiani Opera Prima” for a debuting writer who has particularly distinguished himself in the narrative section. The prize will be added to the three prizes in each section, the “Premio Forum Traiani per la Letteratura” and the “Premio alla Carriera”».
The Foundation of Sardinia, the Municipality of Fordongianus, the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari and the Lettres Sorbonne Universitè sponsor the Forum Traiani National Literary Award. Collaborators include Sardegna Grand Hotel Terme, Endas Sardegna and Cantine Contini 1898.
The technical jury and the scientific committee. Writers, teachers, archaeologists, journalists, literary critics: the Forum Traiani National Award jury is highly qualified and represents different sectors of culture. Starting with the president Massimo Onofriwriter, teacher of Italian literature and director of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Sassari. He is joined by the essayist and literary critic, Alessandro Cadoni, the essayist and literary critic Giovanna Caltagironethe archaeologist and university professor Carla Del Vaisthe teacher University of Italian Literature, Monica Farnettithe essayist and literary critic Rosanna Simona Morace, the university professor of Italian Literature Marco Manotta and the writer Mario Lucio Marras. In addition to the jury, valid support is given by the Scientific Committee, which makes use of literary critics with international experience: Giuliana Adamo, Pier Paolo Antonello, Patrizia Farinelli, David July, Federica Pedriali, Bruno Pischedda, Jeffrey Schnapp, Mario Sechi, Dusica Todorovic and Paolo Valesio.
