The first phase of the 80th anniversary edition of the Strega Prize has concluded, with Sardinia presenting three distinct entries: "L'impero distrazione" (Einaudi) by Marcello Fois , proposed by Helena Janeczek, is joined by "La sonnambula" (Bompiani) and, for Cagliari's Arkadia , "L'ombra di Kafka" by Sicilian Andrea Alba. Of the 79 titles submitted by Amici della Domenica—a record number, albeit just shy of the 80 for the 2023 edition and the 81 for 2025—three put the island center stage.

Bianca Pitzorno , a Sassari-born writer beloved by generations of readers, was introduced by Roberta Mazzanti. The work originates from a curious 19th-century advertisement in Sassari and has evolved into an irresistible, atmospheric novel. The protagonist is Ofelia Rossi, a clairvoyant by necessity and a woman on the run, who navigates the secrets and hypocrisies of a small Sardinian town with intelligence and an extraordinary ability to survive. Pitzorno, who has built her career on narratives that are attentive to female voices and forgotten histories, presents with this title a 19th-century Sardinia that is never nostalgic, but sharp and ironic.

The third Sardinian presence is not that of an author, but of a publisher: Arkadia, a Cagliari-based publishing house that has been carrying out punctual editorial work for years, appears in this edition with "L'ombra di Kafka" (The Shadow of Kafka) by Andrea Alba, a Sicilian writer living in Turin. The novel, proposed by Claudio Strinati, recounts literary forgeries and Borgesian labyrinths in Italy at the end of the millennium: a book that, in the words of the proposer, manages to be light on the surface and layered in depth.

Since 2019, Arkadia has been a regular participant at the award: thirteen titles submitted in seven years, a consistency that demonstrates the Cagliari-based publisher's commitment to the quality of its offerings. This isn't a one-off participation, but a presence built over time, transforming the Strega into a key event for independent publishing on the island.

Three presences, therefore, that tell the story of a vibrant and diverse literary Sardinia: that of the great established authors and that of an independent publisher who, brick by brick, is building its national credibility.

The 2026 Strega Prize , which for the first time will see the final on July 8th in Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, promises to be a rich and competitive event. The Steering Committee—composed of Dacia Maraini, Melania G. Mazzucco, Paolo Giordano, and Gabriele Pedullà, among others—will announce the final dozen on April 1st at the Rome Chamber of Commerce, in the Hall of the Temple of Vibia Sabina and Hadrian. The final five will be announced on June 3rd at the Roman Theater in Benevento.

Sardinia waits, with three good reasons to hope.

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