The Crotone Prize (it|'''Premio Crotone''', IPA: pronounced as /it/) was a prominent Italian literary award founded on April 4, 1952[1] in Crotone, Calabria, through the initiative of then-mayor Silvio Messinetti.[2] [3]
The first official award ceremony took place in November 1956, and the prize continued until 1963. In its brief but influential existence, the Crotone Prize became a landmark event in Italian cultural life, recognizing and celebrating key figures in the nation's literature.
Notable winners included Leonida Repaci, Leonardo Sciascia, and Pier Paolo Pasolini[4] though Pasolini's award in 1959 was controversially revoked by Francesco De Lorenzo, the prefect of Catanzaro at the time.[5]
The jury was composed of some of Italy's most distinguished literary figures, such as Giuseppe Ungaretti, Carlo Emilio Gadda, Arnoldo Mondadori, Valentino Bompiani, and Alberto Moravia, among others.[6] [7] Their involvement helped elevate the prize's prestige, establishing Crotone as an important cultural hub in Southern Italy.[8]
Despite its early success, the Crotone Prize held its final ceremony on April 6, 1963 due to financial and logistical challenges. Nonetheless, its legacy endures in Italian literary history, having spotlighted works and authors that left an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of the country.
| Edition | Year | Winners | Authors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1956 | Un riccone torna alla terra | Leonida Repaci | |
| II | 1957 | The Sky Is Red The Southern Question | Giuseppe Berto Gaetano Salvemini | |
| III | 1958 | I fatti di Casignana | Mario La Cava | |
| IV | 1959 | Violent Life The Eclipse of the Intellectual | Pier Paolo Pasolini Ernesto de Martino Elémire Zolla | |
| V | 1960 | Speranzella | Carlo Bernari | |
| VI | 1961 | Davide Lajolo | ||
| VII | 1962 | The Day of the Owl | Leonardo Sciascia | |
| VIII | 1963 | Tibi e Tascia The Hour of All | Saverio Strati Maria Corti |