With the novel The anniversary, Andrea Bajani He became the winner of the Witch 2025 Prize. The Roman writer thus inscribes his name in the gold register of the famous literary prize (until now he has been won by 13 writers and 66 writers) conceived in the 1940s by the writer Maria Bellonci and reserved for Italian narrative works published between 1 March of the previous year and 28 February of the current year. For some years, alongside the prize for Italian fiction, which remains the most important and prestigious, awards have also been awarded to works by European fictionOf youth literatureOf poetry and of non -fiction.
The name of the prize was chosen to recall the witchcraft stories associated with the city of Benevento, where the Alberti company, producer of the witch liqueurwho immediately sponsored the event. Hence the famous name.
What is the Strega Prize
The Strega Prize is the more prestigious Italian literary prize. It is organized by Goffredo and Maria Bellonci Foundation Together with the Alberti company of Benevento and assigned every year to an Italian fiction book published in the period between March 1 of the previous year and February 28 of the current year. The name of the prize derives from the witch liqueur, produced by the Alberti company, which sponsors the initiative.
The winner is established by a jury consisting of about 400 members – writers, intellectuals, critics – known as Friends of Sunday. The organization is managed by a Steering Committee and a management committee made up of members chosen by the Bellonci Foundation and the Alberti company. To compete, Writers cannot self -enter: Only Sunday friends can nominate a book to the prize.
Every year they are admitted to participate No more than twelve books; If a greater number is nominated, the Steering Committee chooses, with unappealable judgment, the twelve candidates. Among these, Sunday friends operate another selection of Five finalists bookswhose titles are announced during a ceremony held at Roman theater of Benevento in June. The winner – still chosen by the friends of Sunday – is proclaimed in the final ceremony that is held at the Nymphade Villa Giulia (Rome) On the first Thursday of July. From next year, however, the ceremony could move to the Cinecittà seatfollowing the Olivetti plan for the enhancement of the Roman artistic and cultural heritage.
History of the Strega Prize
The origins of the Strega prize date back to 1944, when Rome was occupied by the Nazis. Two intellectuals, Goffredo and Maria Belloncihosted in their a living room of writers and writers, and there were discussing various topics.
The first meetings they took place on Sunday And therefore the group became known as “Sunday friends”. In the living room, Maria Bellonci proposed the establishment of a New literary prize. In the following months, the liberation of Rome, which took place on June 4, 1944, and the end of the Second World War made it possible to achieve the purpose.
One of the visitors to the living room of Casa Bellonci was Guido Albertibelonging to the family that produces the witch liqueur and intended for a long career as an actor. Alberti accepted finance the prizewhich therefore assumed the name of the liqueur he produced. The institution was announced on February 17, 1947 and the first winner was proclaimed the following 5 July: Ennio Flaianofor the novel The time to kill.
The prize soon acquired importance and prestige: in post -war Italy, it represented the Rebirth of free literature After twenty years of fascist oppression.
Since 1965 the winner’s award ceremony is broadcast in live television. The awarding of the prize takes place every year and has never interrupted, continuing even after the death of Maria Bellonci, which took place in 1986. Over the years, the number of Sunday friends has increased: currently the group is made up of about 400 people. Today the Strega Prize is considered The most prestigious Italian literary recognition.
The winners and the controversies
From 1947 to 2025 the Strega Prize was won by 66 writers and 13 writers. Two authors won the award twice: Paolo Volponiwhich triumphed in 1965 with The world machine and in 1991 with The road to Rome; Sandro Veronesiwhich won in 2006 with Calm chaos and again in 2020 with The colibrì.
In the golden register there are some of the most well -known Italian literary works of the Second World War, such as The gotopardo Of Giuseppe Tomasi of Lampedusa or The name of the squad Of Umberto Eco. However, the prize was not free from controversy: in some cases the choice of finalists and winners was contested; On other occasions the disproportion between writers and writers, since the former are much more numerous, has been criticized.
Not just narrative: the other prizes
Next to the “original” Strega Prize, reserved for works of Italian fiction, for some years the Bellonci Foundation has also awarded other awards. Since 2014, he assigns the European Witch Prizeintended for a writer of the old continent who has obtained a literary prize in his country. In 2025 the award touched the Irish Paul Murray For the novel The day of the beepublished in Italy by Einaudi.
Since 2014 there is also the Young Strega Prizeto which the same candidate books for the “Original” award contribute. The winner is chosen by about a thousand students high schools. In 2025 he was the winner The anniversary by Andrea Bajani, the same book that later triumphed in the prize awarded by the Sunday friends.
In 2016 the Witch award for boys and girlsassigned to three youth literature works: one intended for children of the age group and more years; one for those of the eight and more years age group; One for those of the age group of eleven and more years.
In 2023 the Strega prize for poetrywhich is assigned in October. The first two editions were won by Vivian Lamarque with Love as old and by Stefano Dal Bianco with Paradise.
The last witch prize established is that for the non -fictionassigned from 2025 to an Italian author and a foreigner. They were winners of the first edition Anna Foa with The suicide of Israel And Anne Applebaum with Autocracies. Who are the dictators who want to govern the world.
