The director of the Sila Prize, Gemma Cesari, and the president of the Sila Prize Foundation, Enzo Paolini, made the five finalist books known during the press conference this morning at the Mondadori library in Cosenza. The Sila Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to the writer Nadia Fusini and RA Di Martino is the artist of the official manifesto of this thirteenth edition, “Kant Can’t (The Hand 2025)”. The five books remained in the race and from which the jury and the readers committee will choose the winner of this thirteenth edition are: “Tangerinn” (editions and/o) by Emanuela Anechoum, “The titles of a life of a life together” (Einaudi) by Diego De Silva, “Lo splendor – The childhood of Hans” (Laurana) by Pier Paolo Di Mino, “the days of glass” (Einaudi) by Nicoletta Verna, “Black September” (the ship of Teseo) by Sandro Veronesi.
“I would like to highlight that the finalist of this year, selected thanks to the commitment and dedication of the readers’ Committee, represents an extraordinary level of literary excellence and artistic value – said the president of the Sila Prize Foundation, the lawyer Enzo Paolini -. Not only have we had the opportunity to listen to the presentations of the five authors, but anyone who has had the opportunity to read these novels was certainly fascinated. This result not only rewards the work of the readers Committee, but also gives a great responsibility to the jury, who will have to choose the winner among these five exceptional finalists, while representing a significant gratification for this edition of the prize “.
During the press conference, the recipient of the career prize, the Tuscan writer and scholar Nadia Fusini, was also announced. For the occasion, he will hold his highly anticipated Lectio Magistralis entitled “Shakespeare and Cervantes: literature, theater and dream”, an event on the bill on the final weekend of the Sila. In addition, it has been revealed that the artistic and visual talent of RA Di Martino created the work “Kant Can’t (The Hand 2025)” which will be the official manifesto of the thirteenth edition of the Sila Prize. “I am particularly happy to announce that the career prize this year has been awarded to Nadia Fusini – said Paolini – writer, essayist, novelist, literary criticism and Italian translator who occupies a prominent place in the contemporary cultural panorama. He made extraordinary contributions on Virginia Woolf and Shakespeare, distinguishing himself as a multifaceted personality and vast culture ».
Paolini also stressed that Fusini “This year republished his wonderful essay entitled” Who killed Anna Karenina “, more current than ever, who explores the female figures in the great world literature”. The Professor will hold her lectio magistralis on Shakespeare and Cervantes on June 7 at Palazzo Arnone. With regard to the manifesto that will accompany this edition, the president explained: «We chose RA Di Martino, a Roman artist with an extraordinary versatility and prolificity. His proposal, I have to admit, initially aroused some doubts in me, but subsequently I was fascinated by it. It is a particularly intense work that refers to both the philosopher Kant and the English term “Can’t” (cannot). The image depicts a hand that contains an astronaut intent on exploring the universe enclosed in the palm ».
The director Gemma Cesari wanted to express “thanks to our friends who accompanied us, of Mondadori, Ubik and Feltrinelli. And a very hot thanks because there is an evident growth of interest in participation in our readers’ committee that this year, with the very close times we had given, was present and voted en masse “. Before concluding, Paolini wanted to thank “Andrea Pisani Massamamile and Monsignor Salvatore Nunnari, my faithful travel companions – he said – in the adventure of the Sila Prize, which began in 2012” and the municipal administration of Cosenza “for having made the institutional places available for our events and for having supported the Sila prize too this year”. Finally, Cesari has announced that “the jury is at work and given the very close times of this year, we will announce the winners of the literature and economy and company section at the beginning of next week”.