A map, sometimes, is worth more than a thousand routes marked on the Atlants. It is the map of the books. And Cosenza and the Sila ’49 prize, for some time, have become a cardinal point of this secret geography. Also this year they traced their route, announcing the ten finalist books. It happened yesterday, at the foundation headquarters, in a press conference that smelled of fresh ink and promises. Hosts the lawyer Enzo Paolinipresident of the Sila Prize Foundation, e Gemma Cesari, director of the prize. The jury was also present, with Emanuele Trevi, Valerio Magrelli and Nicola Lagioia connected via the web.
“Our common thread is Italy we would like,” said Enzo Paolini, president of the Sila Prize Foundation. Words that sound like an invitation to a trip. And then we start, for this literary journey through ten voices that have been able to capture the essence of our time. There are those who, like Nicoletta Verna In his “glass days” (Einaudi), it offers what Nicola Lagioia calls “a compelling writing, capable of keeping the reader glued to the page, curious to find out how the destinies of the characters intertwine”. And then Sandro Veronesi, who with “Black September” (the ship of Teseo) created, in the words of Valerio Magrelli, “a book invented with care and love, but crowned by a tragic explosion that upsets the family universe”.
The journey continues with Emanuela Anechoum and her “Tangerinn” (And/or), which according to Emanuele Trevi “uses a classic narrative archetype – the return to the roots – but does it with such freshness and originality which is in any case engaging”. And with Diego De Silva That in the “tail titles of a life together” (Einaudi), Trevi reminds us, “shows as two people who once shared the same vision of the world, after separation, find themselves living in two completely different realities”. And then there is “the splendor” (Laurana) of Pierpaolo di Minowhich Trevi describes as “a work that challenges contemporary narrative conventions, proposing a language that detaches itself from the fashions of the moment to embrace a more archaic and universal vision”. Next to the “eternal girl” (Bompiani) by Andrea Piva, who Lagioia describes as “a contemporary story that evokes universal themes such as Eros and Thanatos, love and death”. Two sides of the same medal, two ways of looking at reality.
Linda Ferri, with “Our Kingdom” (Feltrinelli gramma), according to Trevi he created “a work of high literature, where the” kingdom “of the title is a world in the world, a place where reciprocity between the characters has a powerful narrative energy”. While Marco Lodoli gives us “little” (Einaudi), which Magrelli defines “a novel that moves on a constant bottom of suffering and Christian pity”. The circle closes with Giulia Corsalini and “The condition of memory” (Guanda), for Magrelli “a painful and enchanting story that weaves a continuous passage between present and past”. And with Marco Ferrante who in “Return to Puglia” (Bompiani) offers what Lagioia describes as “a compelling family saga, with all the shadows of the misfortune and tragedy that stretch on the matter, together with the typical contradictions of a bourgeois family in a land where the bourgeoisie has accumulated wealth in an accelerated way”.
The director of the prize Gemma Cesari He highlighted the difficulty of the work done by the jury and the variety of the dozen 2025: «We are very satisfied with the selected dozen. It is a squad that holds together many interesting voices of contemporary Italy. Ten extraordinary books that come after an intense and in -depth work by the jurors. We have debutants and consolidated authors: great literature but with a variety that this year is really evident “. Valerio Magrelli added that “the selection was a fascinating but complex path”, while Emanuele Trevi spoke of “an edition that stands out for the richness of the literary proposals”. Finally, Nicola Lagioia defined the Sila award as “an important opportunity to reflect on Italian literature in dialogue with the great social and existential themes”.
“Now, the word passes to the readers of the readers selected by the Cosenza bookstores – said Paolini -. They will give a soul to this map, to fill the paths traced this morning with emotions and reflections. They will decide which stories will remain impressed in memory. It will come to the Cinquina and then, in June, a winner will proclaim. “
Cosenza and the Sila ’49 prize, once again, are confirmed a point of reference for Italian culture. A place where books are not only objects to read, but tools to understand the world. And why not, dream of a better future. Because, as Enzo Paolini said, “Reading these books means reflecting on who we are today and who we want to be tomorrow”. An invitation that sounds like a promise. Of culture, beauty and truth.
