Ada d'Adamo, with her powerful debut book "Come D'Aria" (Elliot), won the 2023 Strega Prize with 185 votes.
The writer and dancer, who died at the age of 55 on April 1, 2023, two days after entering the dozen of the most coveted Italian literary recognition , learned of the candidacy for the Strega on the last day of her life. The award was collected by her husband Alfredo Favi, «an unexpected and well-deserved prize», and Loretta Santini, editor of Elliott, who thanked «all those who believed in this book» rejected by many publishers.
Rosella Postorino, already winner of the Campiello Prize 2018, who led the five, did not make it, protagonist of a duel to the last vote with "Mi Limitavo a amare te" (Feltrinelli) which had 170 preferences. The author of the bestseller "The tasters" gave voice this time to the enormous price paid by the children of Sarajevo brought to Italy to save themselves from the war in July 1992.
Written during his illness, "Come D'Aria" is instead the authentic voice of a mother who is battling cancer and tells her disabled daughter their story. A powerful, true and ruthless interweaving between past and present that has created a tsunami of consensus from bottom to top, which also won the 2023 Strega Giovani Prize, was awarded the Strega off collective vote, led to victory small publisher like Elliot and the translation rights in France have already been acquired.
It is not the first time that the Strega Prize has been awarded posthumously: it had happened with "Passaggio in ombra" by Mariateresa Di Doccia in 1995 and with "Il Gattopardo" by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa in 1959. The live broadcast, at the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia , was broadcast from 10.50 pm on Rai3: for the third consecutive time Geppi Cucciari was present. The Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano was present together with the Councilor for Culture of Rome Capital Miguel Gotor and the president of Maxxi Alessandro Giuli.
Third of an all-female five, with for the first time four women, Andrea Canobbio with "The night crossing" (La nave di Teseo) had 75 votes, fourth Maria Grazia Calandrone with "Where you didn't bring me" (Einaudi) , 72 votes and fifth Romana Petri with her "Stealing the night" (Mondadori), 59 votes.
(Unioneonline/D)
