Vivian Lamarque wins the first edition of the Strega Poetry Prize with Old love (Mondadori) which obtained 33 votes out of 98 cast. Goes to the Italian poet, writer and translator also the Strega Giovani Poesia Prize with 54 votes out of 167 expressed by 400 students from upper secondary schools distributed in Italy and abroadto which an anthology of texts selected by the authors themselves was sent.
The author of the winning work received a cash prize offered by Strega Alberti Benevento and theOpera The Infinite Witch Prizecreated by Emilio Isgrò to celebrate the birth of literary recognition. The winner also received a special prize offered by BPER Banca which renews its commitment to promoting reading.
«I have no words, I don’t say anything» – commented the poet immediately – «I think of the many poets who have received recognition in death. I’m lucky to still be alive”, words that sparked laughter from the audience and an explosion of thunderous laughter. Second place was won by Umberto Fiori with Automatic self-portrait (Garzanti), 24 votes; he takes third place Silvia Bre with The bells (Einaudi), 17 votes; fourth place goes to Stefano Simoncelli with Sotto false nome (Pequod), 14 votes, and fifth and last place goes to Christian Sinicco with “Ballate di Lagosta” (Donzelli), 10 votes.
Vivian Lamarque receives the “Strega Poetry Award” on October 5, 2023 in Rome. (Photo by Maria Moratti/Getty Images)
The winning poetic work was chosen by Friends of poetry, a jury made up of one hundred women and men from the world of culture who deal with poetry and which also includes the members of the Scientific Committee of the Prize: Maria Grazia Calandrone, Andrea Cortellessa, Mario Desiati, Elisa Donzelli, Roberto Galaverni, Valerio Magrelli, Melania G. Mazzucco, Stefano Petrocchi, Laura Pugno, Antonio Riccardi, Enrico Testa and Gian Mario Villalta.
The motivation and immediate comments of Maria Grazia Calandrone
«If it is true that poetry is a continuous approximation to something we do not know, Vivian Lamarque carries out his approximation in books of very slight cruelty such as this last one, Old love. With merciless grace, the author retains the crystalline timbre of childhood, manages to put down on paper the reassuring equality between person and person” writes Maria Grazia Caladrone in the motivation.
The author, herself a poet and finalist in the 2023 Strega Prize with Where you didn’t take me (Einaudi), is convinced that poetry is not something separated from reality, the difference is made by the gaze with which we look at things: «Poets have the ability or madness to see the invisible and to fix our gaze into the depths of things until they speak, tracing their original sound, something we remember and are continually searching for.”
Poetry is therefore an instrument of knowledge, perhaps the only one capable of capturing the essence of a world that we perceive only intermittently.: «Poetry establishes a link with reality of which we know a very small fraction» – concludes the author – «Reality as we see it is true, concrete but only in part, even science says so. Most of the universe is made up of dark matter, vacuum, and matter is made exclusively of relationships. How can you, then, not see poetry in this».
An award dedicated to poetry 3.0
The Strega Poetry Prize was created with the aim of spread the different experiences of poetic writing, all of which deserve to be listened to and representation, highlighting the Italian production of the highest literary quality and meaning in the contemporary cultural panorama. Writing in verse is in a moment of great liveliness and ferment as demonstrated by some recent poetic collections that have become long-sellers, the multiplication of readings and poetry slam shows and the birth and renewal of dedicated series.
Finally, social networks have become a vast terrain for sharing that generates real literary cases, also followed by younger audiences. The Bellonci Foundation, which has always been attentive to the evolution of literary forms, deemed it appropriate to give visibility to this ancient genre that is constantly renewed.
The books proposed for this first edition of the Strega Poetry Prize were announced at the Bellonci Foundation headquarters last year March 21, World Poetry Day.
At the end of the announcement Sergio Rubini read a selection of verses by twentieth century and contemporary authors inspired by the beginning of spring and the flower/love rhyme, “the oldest, most difficult in the world” wrote Umberto Saba. While reading the illustrator Alessandro Sannaalso a contributor to “The New Yorker”, winner of three Andersen Awards and translated into English, French, German and Spanish, performed in a live painting which became the visual manifesto of the event.
135 books competed for this first edition, all published between January 2022 and February 2023. By the deadline of 28 February, the publishers proposed 120 titles, one for each publisher, to which were added 15 additional titles requested by the Scientific Committee. The five finalists were announced last May 19th at the Turin Book Fair.
The first Strega Poetry Prize, the evening and the guests
The evening was broadcast live by Rai Cultura and took place in a wonderful setting Temple of Venus in Romea jewel inside the Colosseum archaeological park. Hosted by an ironic and elegant Ema Stokholma, in a black and white outfit with lace and sequins, gave a touch of lightness to the solemnity of the event. Speakers included the director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum Alfonsina Russo, the councilor for culture of the Municipality of Rome Miguel Gotor, the president and director of the Bellonci Foundation Giovanni Solimine and Stefano Petrocchi, the head of External Relations of Bper Banca Gilberto Borghi, the president by Strega Alberti Benevento Giuseppe D’Avino. “We are confident that this award will give greater attention to poetry” commented Solimine.
Many guests and artists took turns on stage to celebrate poetry, remembering illustrious poets: Chiara Civello presented a preview of her new single “Sempre Cosi”, with lyrics by Patrizia Cavalli, together with the video clip created by Céline Sciamma. The song is also part of the soundtrack of the short film made by the same director “This is how a child becomes a poet”, a vivid portrait of the great poet who passed away last year, starting from a visit to her house in Rome.
Chiara Civello performs at the 2023 Strega Poetry Prize with a song based on the lyrics of Patrizia Cavalli, on 5 October 2023 in Rome. (Photo by Maria Moratti/Getty Images)
There were many male and female writers present including Chiara Valerio, who spoke about her personal vision of poetry: «The poetry I love talks about everyday things and issues. I believe this was the case for Valerio Magrelli, Patrizia Cavalli and Franco Marcoaldi. I am happy that Vivian Lamarque won because she is never gloomy and she holds together the solemnity of death with the joy of life, the laughter that unites everything.”
Singer-songwriter Marie Antoinette read “Under a Little Star” by Wisława Szymborska and “Beyond time, beyond a corner” by Cristina Campo, two poets whose birth centenary is this year. Giulia Anania, accompanied by keyboardist Fabio Marchiori, performed reading a text from Love is a burdenhis collection of poems, and sang But tell me And The love of others. The rapper Rancore paid homage to Pier Paolo Pasolini reading the writer’s verses revisited by Walter Siti and then sang two of his most popular songs from his latest albums, Sunshine and Eden, with which he participated in the 2020 Sanremo Festival.
Together with the artists they took to the stage the finalist poets, who read some texts taken from the competing works.
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