Strega Giovani Award: Ada D’Adamo wins

In the end, Ada d’Adamo shuffled the cards and won the Strega Giovani prize with her «Come d’aria» (Elliot) in the bewitched quotations and in the hearts of the people (apparently also by many jurors). The writer who died last April thus becomes the editorial case of this edition number 77.

The writer disappeared in Rome on April 1st. She was fifty-five years old and had told in a very incisive way in this first novel, her illness and her relationship with her daughter.
Ada D’Adamo in «Come d’aria» recounts the birth and early years of her daughter Daria, suffering from a serious congenital disease. When Ada herself discovers that she has a tumor and that she has to undergo very heavy treatments, her main fear is that of losing physical contact with Daria. A lucid and moving memoir in which the body has a central relief, as in dance, an art dear to the author and in which, alongside fears, fatigue and pain, there is room for the power of affection.

The winner was announced by Stefano Petrocchi, director of the Bellonci Foundation, during the event hosted by Loredana Lipperini which took place at the Mann – National Archaeological Museum of Naples, directed by Paolo Giulierini. Participating, lending their voices to some excerpts from the candidate books, Giovanna Sonnino and Giuseppe Tantillo, actors of the series “Mare fuori”, and the producer Michele Zatta. It was Andrea D’Angelo, vice president of Strega Alberti, who presented the prize to Alfredo Favi, husband of the deceased writer. That of Ada d’Adamo, with 83 preferences out of 503 expressed, was the most voted book by a jury of girls and boys aged between 16 and 18 from 91 upper secondary schools distributed in Italy and abroad. Second and third place went to Rosella Postorino, author of «Mi Limitavo ad amare te» (Feltrinelli), with 64 votes, and Carmen Verde, author of «A minimum unhappiness» (Neri Pozza), with 60 votes. The three books receive a valid vote for the designation of the finalists for the Strega Prize. The vote for the Cinquina will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 7 June, at the Roman Theater of Benevento, where the candidate authors will once again present themselves in homage to the city of the historic sponsor who has given its name to the noble award since its foundation, the Strega liqueur Alberti. The ceremony will begin at 18.30 with the conduction of Stefano Coletta and the direction of Renato Giordano. The event is visible in live streaming on Rai Play.