‘Scrittidicuore’, an inmate from Palmi prison wins

Ruggiero, a guest in the Palmi prison, won the eighth edition of the national writing competition ‘Scrittidicuore’ which involved prisons throughout Italy. The initiative is conceived and promoted by the Municipality of Campobasso and the Italian Readers’ Union (Uli) as part of ‘I’ll tell you a book’, a permanent laboratory on reading and narration. A text in which the author turns to himself trying to mend links between the past and the present, between the inside and the outside, in a context in which the perception of feelings is radically transformed. The letter, defined as a ‘baroque cry’, is a powerful testimony of how writing can become an act of reflection and hope, a lyrical narrative test that explores the human soul in an intimate and universal way. The second place is the letter from Sebastiano, detained in the Sulmona prison (Aquila), which addresses the delicate topic of gender violence, offering a message of reflection and hope. Writing to a narcissist who cannot let go of a relationship, the author invites the recipient to reflect on the dangers of resentment and hatred, urging a path to redemption and recognition of the value of oneself and others.