These are not simple coincidences. Often, careful and meticulous choices, combined with an in-depth knowledge of universal literary vibrations, pay off. The Sila Prize Foundation knows this well and, a week after the announcement of David Szalay’s presence at “Altre voci”, the annual event with foreign writers, had the enormous satisfaction of seeing him awarded one of the most coveted prizes in the world, the Booker Prize, for his latest novel “Nella carne” (Adelphi).
«Guiding the Foundation on this path of discovery – explained the president, the lawyer Enzo Paolini – is a collective vision of the highest level: a jury of excellence that explores the literary and artistic panorama with the aim of sowing messages and dialogue with different cultures. This ambitious route is traced thanks to the consultancy of Gemma Cestari, director of the Foundation, and Marco Vigevani, among the most influential literary agents in Europe, figures who help the Sila Prize to achieve very high profile goals.” Thus, Southern Italy has only one opportunity to meet the newly awarded author and the appointment is on Tuesday 2 December, at 6pm, at the Casa delle Culture in Cosenza, in one of the most evocative locations in the historic centre. The Brutian city will host the only stop in Southern Italy in the Anglo-Hungarian writer’s Italian minitour, which will touch only three other cities: Rome, Terni and Castiglion Fiorentino.
His novel unanimously won over the jury of the prestigious prize. «Welcoming the winner of the Booker Prize is a source of great pride for our Foundation – said Paolini -. This event demonstrates that when you work with seriousness and passion for culture, great authors choose the Sila Prize as a privileged interlocutor. Quality literature has no geographical boundaries and we are proving it once again.” And Marco Vigevani, who as a consultant helps to define these international visions, will dialogue with Szalay during the meeting in Cosenza.
