The super favorite Michele Mari overcomes the controversy and wins, with 190 votes, the 2026 Strega Prize. The heated debate following the minibus affair did not weigh on the victory of “I convitati di pietra” (Einaudi) with which the writer, in his first time at the most coveted Italian literary recognition, had already received the Young Strega Prize.
“I don’t smile because it would result in a grin, a stroke not suited to the occasion. I thank all the readers who supported me, all the readers who didn’t support me and who I met on this rather demanding tour to use a euphemism” said the writer at the announcement of the victory holding the bottle of Liquore Strega in his hand which he barely drank. The most heartfelt thanks “to my wife and my children who I invite to come up on stage here immediately” he added.
At the final evening in the newly restored Piazza del Campidoglio, where the awards ceremony took place for the first time, the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, absent in 2025 because the books had not been sent to him, and the Mayor of Rome Capital Roberto Gualtieri were also present in a peaceful atmosphere. «Rome is a city that increasingly loves literature and books. From this year the award lives inside the city, in many arenas. In these times there is a need for literature, culture and a critical spirit” underlined Gualtieri.
Mari, 70 years old, had seen speculation of his resignation or exclusion from the prize flourishing. Hypotheses, however, not foreseen by the regulation to which the Bellonci Foundation had drawn attention, underlining that “the Prize is a competition between works”. The hope that the word would return to books and literature was therefore finally realized. The writer never appeared particularly upset, not even in the last stages towards the finale accompanied by a great silence on a chapter that was wanted closed, even if the path to triumph seemed more uphill. Now he enjoys the victory of his choral novel in which he tells of a playful pact of blood and money, which turns into a fierce competition between classmates from a Milanese high school, Berchet, in 1974, after the final exams. A lottery that will bind them for life and death. “I made a pact with my friends from school that if I win I’ll treat them to dinner,” he said during the live broadcast. “Since I’ve been writing and publishing books, they’ve been telling me, smile, laugh, I’m not capable,” he said.
For Matteo Nucci (already in the top five in 2017), who cited the Palestinian genocide, and his full-bodied “Plato. A love story” (Feltrinelli), in which the theme of eros as a source of knowledge dominates in a journey that reconstructs the life of the great philosopher, his battles to create justice and his fundamental meeting with Socrates, a comeback and winning the Prize seemed easier, also given the gap of 38 votes in the sixth, but everything remained as expected and he retained second place with 152 votes.
Third was Bianca Pitzorno, 83 years old, present at the final despite her walking difficulties, with “La sonnambula” (Giunti), 84 votes, in which she gives voice, between reality and fiction, to Ofelia, a psychic in Sardinia at the end of the 19th century, which has sold a lot since its release on 5 January 2026.
Fourth Alcide Pierantozzi, also in the final at the 2026 Campiello Prize with ‘Lo sbilicò (Einaudi), in which he tells between autobiography and novel with great courage, his own experience of mental illness, which received 78 votes and fifth with a very small gap, Teresa Ciabatti, in her third Strega Prize with ‘Donnareginà (Mondadori), 75 votes, a dense dialogue with the superboss Giuseppe Misso «said ‘o Nasone» which is also an investigation into the responsibility of writing. The writer, during the live broadcast, was moved and quoted Valeria Parrella who in her latest book says that in every corner of the world “there is always a little girl who gets in the way and that little girl is Murgia”. Sixth place was Elena Rui with ‘Vedove di Camus’ (L’orma), 64 votes. The live broadcast, broadcast on Rai3 from 11pm, hosted by Pino Strabioli and Gloria Campaner, who performed on the piano, was broadcast in streaming in the arenas of the Casa del Cinema, the Parco degli Acquedotti, the Corviale and the Macro where you can also visit the ongoing exhibitions for free, including the one dedicated to the Strega Prize.
Presiding over the seat is Andrea Bajani, winner of the last edition. The total votes cast were 643, equal to 80.4% of those entitled to vote. The count was preceded by a dinner on the terrace of the protomoteca overlooking the imperial forums which was attended by the Minister of Culture Giuli who sat at the table with the mayor Gualtieri and the president of the Bellonci Foundation Giovanni Solimine.
At the other tables, the president of the Italian Publishers Association Innocenzo Cipolletta, the president of Più Libri liberi, Annamaria Malato and among the writers Dacia Maraini, Sandro Veronesi and Chiara Valerio who arrived with Teresa Ciabatti and the director of the Turin Book Fair Annalena Benini.