Italian and International Literary Prizes: A Guide to History and Regulations

In Italy alone, there are hundreds of literary prizes. Some carry a long history behind them, others are famous for the controversies that accompany them, and yet others are coveted for the visibility (and the sales) they guarantee to whoever wins.

Literary prizes, moreover, over the decades have often helped give a turning point to the lives (and publishing trajectories) of the winners. And looking closely at how they unfold, it isn’t only authors, publishers, booksellers and the media at stake, but also readers seeking recommendations and fresh reading suggestions.

In this special feature — which does not pretend to be exhaustive — on Italian and international literary prizes (from the Nobel to the Pulitzer, passing through our very own Strega and Campiello), we therefore discover what revolves around this vast world: the history of the competitions, how they work, when they started, who conceived them, which books can compete, and which authors have won, both well-known and recent.

 

 

Nobel Prize for Literature

History – Established, according to the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and industrialist who died in 1896, the Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded “to the person who, in the field of literature, has produced the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.” The first edition took place in 1901, and since then it has been announced every year, with rare exceptions, in October by the Swedish Academy.

Regulation – The Nobel Committee for Literature, the operational body of the Swedish Academy, invites a number of qualified individuals, among university professors and cultural institutions, to propose candidates. These must be living. Among other things, self-nomination is prohibited. Once the deadline passes, the Committee assesses the proposals and reduces the list to 20 names, then 5, which are submitted to the Academy for the final decision. The list remains secret for fifty years after the prize is awarded.

Some winners of the prize – Grazia Deledda (1926), Thomas Mann (1929), Luigi Pirandello (1934), Yasunari Kawabata (1968), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1978), Kenzaburō Ōe (1994), Dario Fo (1997), Doris Lessing (2007), Olga Tokarczuk (2018), Peter Handke (2019).

Most recent winners – László Krasznahorkai (2025); Han Kang (2024).

Roll of Honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Official Nobel Prize website

Booker Prize for Fiction

History – The prize, established in 1968, takes its name from the initial funding company, Booker, McConnell Ltd. It is awarded each year to the best English-language novel published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Until 2014 the selected authors had to be citizens of the Commonwealth; today the sole requirement is that the works be written in English.

Regulation – Publishers formally registered in the United Kingdom and Ireland submit the literary works they published in the period between October of the previous year and September of the current year; a five-judge panel, appointed by the Booker Prize Foundation, issues a longlist of 12/13 titles, which is narrowed to a shortlist of 5, among which the winning work is chosen. The authors of the works in competition must be alive for the entire selection process.

Some winning books – Moonlight in Egypt by Penelope Lively (1987), The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (1992), Paddy Clarke Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle (1993), The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997), The Sea by John Banville (2005), The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (2019) and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (2019).

Most recent winner: Flesh (Nella carne), David Szalay (2025).

Roll of Honour of the Booker Prize

Official Booker Prize website

National Book Award

History – On March 16, 1950, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, the first National Book Award took place, with the aim of celebrating quality American literature, broadening its audience, and increasing the cultural value of good writing. Each year the prize is awarded to the best works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children’s literature, and translations from other languages.

Regulation – Publishers submit works published between December 1 of the previous year and November 30 of the current year; the proposed authors must be American, with the exception of translated works. A twenty-five-judge panel, five per category, appointed by the winners, finalists and judges of past editions, draws up a longlist of 10 titles, then reduces it to 5, from which the winning work is chosen.

Some winning books – The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever (1958), Theirs by Joyce Carol Oates (1970), A Crown of Feather by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1974), Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (1997), The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (2001), The Friend, Sigrid Nunez (2018).

Last edition won by: The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother), Rabih Alameddine.

Roll of Honour of the National Book Award

Official National Book Award website

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and Nonfiction

History – The Pulitzer is another prize established by a will: that of journalist and American magnate Joseph Pulitzer, who died in 1911. He left all his assets to Columbia University to promote excellence in journalism and the arts through prizes and scholarships. The first award ceremony was held in 1917.

Regulation – Only American citizens may apply for the Pulitzer in fiction, via the dedicated online form. Each year the Pulitzer Prize Board appoints a panel which selects three finalists. Among these finalists the board chooses the winning work; the Pulitzer for nonfiction has been awarded since 1962 to a work of non-fiction by an American author, which is not included in another category (biographical or US history).

Some winning books – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1961), Beloved by Toni Morrison (1988), Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (1989), American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1998), The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (2000), The Overstory by Richard Powers (2019).

Last edition of the Pulitzer for Fiction awarded to: Angel Down, Daniel Kraus (2026).

Roll of Honour – Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Official Pulitzer Prize website

Last edition of the Pulitzer for Nonfiction awarded to: There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, Brian Goldstone (2026).

Roll of Honour – Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction

Premio Cervantes

History – Established in 1976 and awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, the prize bears the name of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote. It is awarded on the anniversary of the writer’s death, in the presence of the king, and it honors the overall contribution of a writer who has made a decisive imprint on the literary heritage of the Spanish-language world.

Regulation – Candidates are proposed by the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española. To be considered, they must come from any Spanish-speaking country.

Some winning books – Jorge Luis Borges (1979), Octavio Paz (1981), María Zambrano (1988), Mario Vargas Llosa (1994), Ana María Matute (2010)

Last edition winner: Gonzalo Celorio (2025)

Roll of Honour – Cervantes Prize

Official Cervantes Prize website

Premio Goncourt

History – Awarded in France “to the best work of imagination in prose published during the year,” the prize grew from the dream of the brothers Jules and Edmond de Goncourt to found a Société Littéraire in opposition to the rigid Académie Française, which did not recognize talents like Zola, Balzac, Flaubert and Baudelaire. Edmond died in 1896, leaving in his will the necessary provisions: in 1903 the Académie Goncourt finally became operational, and the first edition of the prize was held.

Regulation – The candidate works must be written in French and published by a Francophone publishing house. The ten members of the Académie, appointed for life and chosen by their predecessors, gather at the beginning of each month at the Drouant restaurant. Three finalist lists are drawn up, first 15 names, then 8, then 4; finally the winner is announced. Voting is oral, and for the first ten ballots the prize is awarded only if there is an absolute majority.

Some winning books – In the Shadow of the Flowering Girls by Marcel Proust (1919), The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir (1954), The Roots of Heaven by Romain Gary* (1956), Rue des boutiques obscures by Patrick Modiano (1978), The Lover by Marguerite Duras (1984), Chanson douce by Leïla Slimani (2016).

Last edition winner: La Maison vide, Laurent Mauvignier (2025)

Roll of Honour – Prix Goncourt

Official Prix Goncourt website

*the only author in the history of the Goncourt to have won the prize twice, contrary to the rules: the second victory arrived in 1975 with La vie devant soi, published under the pseudonym Émile Ajar.

Premio Strega

History – Idea launched in 1947 by the writer and translator Maria Bellonci, inside her literary salon (“the Amici della domenica”), and by Guido Alberti, the producer of the Strega liqueur, the prize is awarded each year to the work of an Italian author published in Italy. In 2014 the European Strega Prize was created, honoring the work of international authors who had already received significant recognition in their own country. In the same year the Strega Giovani prize was also launched: the selection of works is the same, but judged by young people from upper secondary schools.

Regulation – Twelve works are admitted; these are proposed by jurors who retain the name of Amici della domenica – around 400 men and women from the literary community (and beyond), including past winners. Since 2018, each Friend may nominate a work without needing to partner with another juror. The Board combines the nominations with its own assessment. To the Amici, and to 40 strong readers selected by independent bookstores associated with ALI, 20 collective votes from schools, universities and reading circles were added, and 200 votes from scholars, translators, Italian and foreign intellectuals selected by 20 Italian cultural institutes abroad. The books must have been published between April 1 of the previous year and February 28 of the current year. Once the five finalists are chosen, the winner is announced in a final vote hosted at the Ninfeo of Villa Giulia in Rome, on the evening of the first Thursday of July.

Some winning books – Tempo di uccidere by Ennio Flaiano (1947), L’isola di Arturo by Elsa Morante (1957), La chiave a stella by Primo Levi (1979), Microcosmi by Claudio Magris (1997), La ragazza con la Leica by Helena Janeczek (2018), M. – Il figlio del Secolo by Antonio Scurati (2019).

Last edition winner: I convitati di pietra, Michele Mari (2026)

Roll of Honour – Premio Strega

Official Premio Strega website

Premio Campiello

History – The prize, awarded to Italian works of narrative, was established in 1962 by Veneto industrialists. The first edition took place on the island of San Giorgio in Venice, and since then it has always been hosted in exceptional venues such as the Doge’s Palace and La Fenice Theatre. The city’s link is reinforced by the name itself, recalling the quintessential Venetian squares. In 1994 the possibility to participate was opened to young writers aged 15 to 22 through Campiello Giovani, which requires sending a thematically free Italian-language short story. Since 2004, newcomers have also been awarded through Campiello Opera Prima.

Regulation – Works published in Italy between May 1 of the previous year and April 30 of the current year may be submitted via the official site’s form. A technical jury of five literati, critics or authors appointed by the Management Committee, announces the five finalists during a public ceremony. These are then evaluated by a jury of three hundred Italian citizens who are adults and remain anonymous until the prize is awarded.

Some winning books – The Truce by Primo Levi (1963), Storia di Tönle by Mario Rigoni Stern (1979), Sostiene Pereira by Antonio Tabucchi (1994), Il caso Courrier by Marta Morazzoni (1997), Una barca nel bosco by Paola Mastrocola (2004), Madrigale senza suono by Andrea Tarabbia (2019).

Last edition winner: Di spalle a questo mondo Wanda Marasco (2025).

Roll of Honour – Campiello

Official Premio Campiello website

Premio Bancarella

History – The Bancarella prize is the only award run entirely by booksellers. It has its roots in the Lunigiana book sellers’ tradition; the sellers gathered at the Cisa Pass to divide up the zones where they would settle with their own “stall” and exchange tips on where to stock up on books. It was born in 1952 and the first official edition took place in 1953, in Pontremoli. Over the years, several sections were added: Bancarellino (1957) for children’s literature, with the same judges, Bancarella dello Sport (1964), and Bancarella della Cucina (2006).

Regulation – Works, Italian or international, of fiction or non-fiction, published in Italy between February 1 of the previous year and January 31 of the current year may participate. The Organizing Committee evaluates quality and market reception of the work and selects six finalists. The final decision is then submitted to a college of electors, drawn from the union of Pontremoli booksellers and the Union of the Stall Booths Booksellers.

Some winning books –The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1953), Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco (1989), The World of Sofia by Jostein Gaarder (1995), The Daughter of the Podestà by Andrea Vitali (2006), The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi (2009), The Gentleman Thief by Alessia Gazzola (2019).

Last edition winner: The Right Moment, Lorenza Gentile (2026).

Roll of Honour – Bancarella

Official Premio Bancarella website

Premio Viareggio Rèpaci 

History – The prize was conceived “under the parasol” in Versilia in 1929 by Leonida Rèpaci, Carlo Salsa and Alberto Colantuoni. In the mid-1930s, Lando Ferretti effectively took charge; in the following years Rèpaci fought to keep the competition free from political influence. The Viareggio prize is held every year in summer in the city of Viareggio.

Regulation – Works of narrative, non-fiction and poetry published in Italy between June 1 of the previous year and May 31 of the current year are considered, at the initiative of the commissioners. Commissioners are appointed by the president and serve for two years. Each work must be supported by at least five commissioners. From the initial selection there are 9 finalists, three per category. The final vote requires an absolute majority of the votes.

Some winning books – Letters from Prison by Antonio Gramsci (1947), The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino (1957), The Sower of Seeds by Giorgio Caproni (1959), Medicamenta by Patrizia Valduga (1982), Life in Peace Time by Francesco Pecoraro (2014)

Last edition winner: L’intrigante, Eleonora Marangoni (2026).

Roll of Honour – Premio Viareggio

Official Premio Viareggio website

Premio Andersen

History – The prize was born in 1982 by the magazine Andersen, from which it takes its name. Entirely devoted to the world of childhood, it rewards each year the best works and best series, and it also honors authors and illustrators for their overall body of work. The winners of each category then compete for the Super Premio Andersen, dedicated to the memory of Gualtiero Schiaffini, founder of the magazine.

Regulation – Andersen’s editorial team, together with sector experts, selects the finalists’ trio for each category among the year’s publications. The jury, made up of the magazine’s management, the founders of the Children’s Bookshop and a lecturer in children’s literature, announces the winners. There are sections for different age bands, illustrated albums, books of popular science, and so on.

Some winners – Tornatràs by Bianca Pitzorno (2001), the Brutte Storie series by Terry Deary (2002), I lupi nei muri by Neil Gaiman (2004), La meravigliosa macchina di Pietro Corvo by Guido Quarzo (2013), La volpe e la stella by Coralie Blickford-Smith (2017)

Here is a guide to the winners of the 2026 edition.

Roll of Honour – Premio Andersen

Official Premio Andersen website

Other Italian and International Prizes to Know

What has been cited above is only a small part of the Italian and international prizes. Obviously, with dozens of recognitions in Italy, it would take a whole book to mention them all. Here are others to explore, for those who want to delve into the history and future of the literary world in Italy:

• Biella Award for Literature and Industry
• Bagutta Prize
• Brancati Prize
• Chiara Prize
• Giuseppe Berto Prize
• Calvino Prize (dedicated to unpublished works by debut authors)
• Giovanni Comisso Literary Prize
• Lattes Grinzane Prize
• Mario Luzi Prize
• Mondello Prize
• Napoli Prize
• Nebbia Gialla Prize
• Nonino Prize
• Roma Prize

We also note the free literary tournament IoScrittore, promoted by the Mauri Spagnol publishing group. Founded by José Manuel Lara in 1952, in Spain we also have the Planeta Prize.