Donatella Di Pietrantonio won the 2024 Strega Prize by a wide margin, cementing her position as the frontrunner from the start. Already a winner of the 2024 Strega Giovani Prize, the author received 189 votes for her novel "L'età fragile" (Einaudi), dedicated to survivors.
Through the story of the relationship between a mother, Lucia, and her twenty-two-year-old daughter Amanda, Di Pietrantonio has broken down stereotypes about the years and safety of small provincial towns, with the pandemic as a backdrop. For the first time, the author has also addressed the issue of gender violence, recalling a crime story that occurred in 1997 in Abruzzo.
"I promise to use my written and spoken voice to defend the rights that my generation of women fought so hard for and that today are no longer taken for granted," declared the excited and radiant writer, who was competing for the Strega Prize for the fourth time and who previously won the Campiello Prize in 2017 with "L'Arminuta ." Di Pietrantonio wore an elegant black and pink Etro dress, accented with a necklace featuring a lucky angel.
Dario Voltolini took second place with 143 votes for "Invernale" (La nave di Teseo), a powerful account of his father's final years. Chiara Valerio maintained third place with 138 votes for "Chi dice e chi tace" (Sellerio), a work that explores feelings and prejudices in her hometown of Scauri.
The evening opened with the six finalists on stage, holding signs spelling out the phrase "Books are in the competition, those who write them are not," reflecting the spirit of solidarity throughout the 20-stop tour. The ceremony, broadcast live on Rai 3 and hosted by Geppi Cucciari and Pino Strabioli, had a touch of glamour. Chiara Valerio commemorated Michela Murgia in a white Dior suit, while Raffaella Romagnolo opted for a long black glittery Missoni dress. Dario Voltolini and Paolo Di Paolo chose classic Lardini suits, and Tommaso Giartosio a navy blue Gucci suit.
The final six nominees saw Raffaella Romagnolo in fourth place with “Aggiustare l'universo” (Mondadori), with 83 votes, followed by Paolo Di Paolo with “Romanzo senza umani” (Feltrinelli), 66 votes, and Tommaso Giartosio with “Autobiogrammatica” (minimum fax), with 25 votes.
The Ninfeo, less crowded than usual, welcomed about three hundred fewer people than in previous editions. Among those present were the president of the Culture Commission of the Chamber Federico Mollicone, the president of the Maxxi Alessandro Giuli, Corrado Augias, and various writers and personalities from the publishing world. Absent, however, were the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano and the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Government for Italy Guest of Honor at the Buchmesse in Frankfurt, Mauro Mazza.
Geppi Cucciari quipped about the lack of government representatives, addressing Mollicone: "A question you like, say what you want." Mollicone responded by praising the Strega Prize and announcing the approval of the National Reading Plan. The poll was chaired by Stefano Petrocchi, director of the Bellonci Foundation, replacing last year's winner, Ada d'Adamo, who passed away on April 1, 2023. Of the 700 eligible voters, 644 cast their votes, equal to 92%.
