Valeria Parrella wins the second edition of the Mandrarossa Literary Prize.

Neapolitan writer Valeria Parrella won the Mandrarossa Narrative Prize with her work La Ragazzina , published by Feltrinelli, first place overall in the Mandrarossa Literary Prize - La Sicilia che non ti aspetti , now in its second edition. Dario Ferrari took second place with L'Idiota di Famiglia (Sellerio), while Monica Acito completed the three winners with La Carità Carnale (Bompiani).

The eighteen finalist works were evaluated by a technical jury composed of Franco Cardini, Neria de Giovanni, Eleonora Lombardo, Carlo Alberto Moretti, Christian Rocca, Nadia Terranova and chaired by journalist and author Concita De Gregorio.

The awards ceremony, held on Saturday, July 25, was held at the Temple of Hera , within the Selinunte Archaeological Park . The evening concluded with "Mother. A Conversation, No Guilt, One Hundred Thousand Women , " an intense literary conversation with journalist and television writer Melania Petriello.

"The ceremony on July 25th at the Selinunte archaeological park," said Giuseppe Bursi, President of Cantine Settesoli , "concludes the second edition of the Mandrarossa Literary Prize, an event that confirms its role as a fundamental cultural asset for our region and for the entire national literary scene, thanks to the work of independent bookshops. This year too, the competing works were able to combine the power of words with the valorization of our identity and our roots, and the Prize increasingly represents an ideal meeting in which each literary genre is linked to a Mandrarossa wine, reflecting its identity and nuances. I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the jury for their masterful selection process, to the authors who shared their talent, to Claudia Origoni, Gianni Caruso, and the entire organization, and to the audience who participated with such warmth and enthusiasm. A special thanks goes to the Mandrarossa team who worked behind the scenes to make all this possible, combining their passion for culture with their love for our land and our wines, which This land represents its essence and identity. Congratulations to this year's winners: your stories will continue to walk alongside us. Proud to have once again celebrated great literature, we look forward to seeing everyone next year.

"For the final evening of the Mandrarossa Prize, I would like to thank the organizers for giving me the opportunity to experience this journey," said Concita De Gregorio , President of the Jury. "Alongside a network of enlightened businesses that work the land, alongside a resilient network of independent bookstores that are beacons of light and beauty in their territories, and alongside a jury that worked with dedication, commitment, and harmony. A magical book wins, born from the pen of a formidable writer, Valeria Parrella. "La ragazza" is a novel of history and the future. Parrella's Joan of Arc is unafraid to follow her vision. She suffers the consequences, but transforms places, people, and history. We need novels like Parrella's, in these new difficult times for the country. In days when security, fear, and hatred seem to cast new shadows, we need stories of inspiration, courage, and hope."

“I am a classicist – Valeria Parrella declared after receiving the award for her novel La ragazzina – and for this reason I'm happy to have won an award whose final evening took place in the Temple of Hera; a place that also has substance. It reminds me of the work I've been carrying out for months with the novel that won this award: having exemplary stories from the past tell us how to face the present and our emotions. There are those who have walked these paths before us, and today it's beautiful to retrace them with the certainty of knowing where they lead us and where we should flee from.

"With conviction and enthusiasm shared by the President and the jury," stated Claudia Origoni, Founder and Director of the Prize , "this year's award-winning book is La ragazzina by Valeria Parrella. Despite its 'warrior' theme, it speaks to us of peace and how different war is from a woman's perspective to a man's. By recounting the epic story of Joan of Arc, it transports us back to adolescence, to that age when anything is possible if supported by a lofty vision, with the determination of a young girl who decides where to go and goes there. This was an edition of quality books and writers who are charting their careers in the contemporary scene. I therefore thank the booksellers, who are the absolute protagonists in this and wield a necessary power that ensures the purity and editorial direction of a prize that looks to the future to continue to keep alive the spotlight on independent entities, often true cultural drivers of our regions."

During the ceremony, the winners of the thematic sections were also announced, each inspired by one of Mandrarossa 's labels . The Calamossa prize, dedicated to first works, was awarded to Lorenza Sabatino for Il miracolo (The Miracle) (Guanda). For the Urra di Mare section, reserved for environmental and landscape themes, the winner was Bruno Arpaia with Il mondo senza inverno (Guanda). The Cartagho award, dedicated to historical novels, went to Vanessa Ambrosecchio for Le leonesse di Vergine Maria (Mesogea). The Bertolino Soprano fantasy category saw Mattia Corrente as winner with Il restauratore di mondi (Salani). Finally, the Cavadiserpe prize, reserved for the best crime novel, was awarded to Marilù Oliva for Via delle streghe (Solferino).