More than 40,000 students from all over Italy and even abroad followed the live streaming of the event on the morning of Tuesday, May 13, while about 1,000 young people were able to attend live, filling the two halls set up for the occasion. It was a particularly significant edition, organized in memory of the famous writer 40 years after her death.
The event confirmed itself as a point of reference for the Italian cultural scene, thanks also to the leadership of writer Dacia Maraini, who chaired the jury composed of ten prominent figures from the literary, journalistic and artistic worlds. Eleven prizes were awarded in the various categories, in the presence of the heads of important publishing houses and with the participation of more than fifty accredited journalists.
Conducting the ceremony were actor Alessandro Incerto and journalist Tiuna Notarbartolo, also the event’s artistic director.
Prominent among the winners was Roberto Andò, awarded for Fiction with his novel Il coccodrillo di Palermo, published by La nave di Teseo. The Elsa Morante Ragazzi Awards went to:
- Alessandro D’Avenia for Resisti cuore (Mondadori), in the “Knowledge” category;
- Donatella Di Pietrantonio with Fireflies, little sharks and a bit of batter (Salani), for Fiction;
- Francesca Mannocchi with Sulla mia terra (De Agostini), for the section “La Storia.”
Nicola Campiotti received the award for Opera Prima with Tutto tra noi è infinito (Sperling & Kupfer), while Barbara Baraldi, already known for her work on Dylan Dog, won for the Graphic Novel section with Jenny (Bonelli). The Elsa Morante Nisida Prize was awarded to Daniela De Crescenzo and Tommaso Montanino for Il Narcos (Paper First), selected in collaboration with the young inmates of the Nisida IPM.
The Prize also celebrated youth musical talent with three special awards to LDA (Luca D’Alessio), R&B producer Noya, and Anastasio for his contribution to songwriting.
In the audience, in addition to the school audience and readers, there were numerous institutional and academic and scientific figures, including Riccardo Villari, president of Città della Scienza, General Francesco Bianco, Luigi Carrino of the Campania Aerospace District, engineer Francesco Floro Flores, and other leading figures in Campania culture and politics.
The organization of the event was taken care of by the Elsa Morante Prize Cultural Association, with general direction by Iki Notarbartolo, communication managed by Gilda Notarbartolo and graphics signed by Umberto Amicucci. Institutional support came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the Campania Region and numerous private partners and cultural bodies.
