I finalists of the Campiello Prize 2021 have been disclosed, including confirmations and surprises. And, finally, the final sprint can begin. The five writers, chosen in Padua by the Jury of Literature chaired by Valter Veltroni, will present themselves at Venezia next September 4th. Where the winner will be announced.
Who are the finalists of the Campiello Prize 2021?
The nominations took place in streaming, on the channel of the famous award. They will compete for the Campiello Prize 2021 Paul Nori with "It still bleeds"(Mondadori), Andrea Bajanic with "The book of houses"(Feltrinelli), Paul Malaguti with "If the water laughs"(Einaudi), Julia Caminito with "The water of the lake is never sweet"(Bompiani) e Carmen Pellegrino with "The happiness of others"(The Ship of Theseus). For Bajani and Caminito it is therefore a double, since they are also in contention for Strega Award. "The books that participated tell of familiar stories, but not only: in them there is the reality that breaks in, as well as the places and feelings. The variety of themes addressed by this year's novels will allow readers who will evaluate the jury's choice to move along different dimensions”Commented Veltroni.
La Jury of writers examined 346 titles, all published between May 1, 2020 and April 31, 2021, before reaching the finalist five. With a live broadcast from Palazzo del Bo ', the historic seat of the University of Padua, he nominated the five eligible candidates. And announced the winner of the Campiello Opera Prima. Daniel Gambaro, with its "Ten almost true stories"(Nutrimenti), will receive the award at the Venice Arsenal for his"writing that participates, without ever giving up the rigor in modulating the accents of emotion, melancholy, even irony".
Who will choose the winner
The Campiello 2021 Award, as well as the previous editions of the award, is based on the double jury mechanism. The first phase was entrusted, in fact, to the Literary Jury. Who, chaired by Valter Veltroni, read the works admitted to the competition and then chose the five finalists. To get to the final, a book must get seven votes from the jurors (all from the academic world or the cultural landscape). Subsequently, a jury consisting of 3.000 anonymous readers which change every year, and which are selected throughout Italy on the basis of a spontaneous application. Their particularity? In the course of a lifetime, it is possible to hold the role of juror only once. A precaution, this one, aimed at avoiding courtship and pressure from the publishing houses.
The 2020 edition of the Campiello Prize was won by Remus Rapino, author of "Life, death and miracles of Bonfiglio Liborio"(Minimum fax). Who will triumph this year? To find out, it is necessary to wait until September 4th. For now, it is only possible to "be satisfied" with the analysis that the jurors have made of contemporary Italian literature. A literature that often has the maternal theme at its center, and that is not afraid to dare. With linguistic experimentation and the desire to let the reader make up the pieces of the story.
