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A PROPOSITO DI... LA DOZZINA DEL LXXX PREMIO STREGA 2026

·1 hr 22 min·7 clips

Francesca Ventura reveals the twelve books competing for Italy's most prestigious literary award, the 80th Strega Prize.

1. Radio In Fiore broadcasts 'A Proposito Di' from its newly inaugurated studio, with host Francesca Ventura covering all 12 finalist novels of the 80th Premio Strega 2026 narrative section. 2. Guests are Dodo, a regular participant, and Aurora, a singer who performs three songs during the episode; director Fabrizio Panelli operates the console. 3. The episode's core purpose is to give listeners a survey of the dozen finalist books before the July 8th Premio Strega ceremony in Rome. 4. The first title discussed is 'Platone, una storia d'amore' by Matteo Nucci (Feltrinelli), a novel set in 415 BCE tracing the philosopher as a 12-year-old named Aristocle at the Piraeus harbor as Athens faces war with Sparta. 5. 'La rosa inversa' by Maria Attanasio (Sellerio), proposed by actress Ottavia Piccolo, opens with a discovered manuscript in an early twentieth-century Sicilian palace that leads back to the Enlightenment, exploring tensions between reason, religion, and Masonic symbolism. 6. 'Storia di un'amicizia' by Ermanno Cavazzoni is described by its proposer Massimo Raffaeli as a memory of a human and literary story between Cavazzoni and writer Gianni Celati, written 'in a single breath' with rhythmic, elementary prose. 7. 'Donna Regina' by Teresa Ciabatti, proposed by Roberto Saviano, follows a journalist unfamiliar with criminality who is assigned to interview a mafia super-boss charged with 182 murders; the interview evolves when the boss reveals unexpected vulnerability and nostalgia. 8. 'Lina e il Sasso' by Mauro Covacich (Nave di Teseo), proposed by Edoardo Nesi, is described as telling 'the fratricidal, non-healing and desperate humanity of its protagonists.' 9. 'I Convitati di Pietra' by Michele Mari, proposed by Vittorio Lingiardi, follows former classmates who signed a pact at their maturity exam; 30 years later, competition and the prospect of a fabulous prize reactivate old rivalries. 10. 'Sbilico' by Alcide Pierantozzi (Einaudi), proposed by Strega-winner Donatella Di Pietrantonio, is described as the first raw, first-person account from inside a mental illness—obsessive, shouting and wailing, demanding to be read to the last word. 11. 'La sonnambula' by Bianca Pitzorno is identified by Francesca as a potential frontrunner due to its long bestseller status, though she speculates its commercial success could count against it with the jury. 12. 'L'invenzione del colore' by Cristian Raimo (Nave di Teseo)—the second Nave di Teseo title—is noted for its focus on figurative arts; Francesca reveals Nave di Teseo is directed by Vittorio Sgarbi's daughter. 13. 'Camus' by Elena Rui (L'orma), proposed by Lisa Ginzburg—granddaughter of Natalia Ginzburg—is set in 1960 and was published on May 23rd of the previous year. 14. 'Acqua sporca' by Nadiscia Uliangoda (Einaudi), proposed by Gaia Manzini, is set between Italy and Sri Lanka and addresses displacement; Manzini's motivation notes that one in seven people in the world has left their place of origin. 15. 'Occhi di bambina' by Marco Vichi (Guanda), proposed by Laura Bosio, follows seven-year-old Arianna in 1980s Florence during the 'anni di piombo'; after a grandmother's question forces a choice, she joins her mother in a fugitive life between Paris and Barcelona. 16. Francesca announces that Loredana Minà, widow of Italian sports journalist Gianni Minà, will appear on May 14th to present 'Facce piene di pugni,' a posthumous collection of Minà's interviews with Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, and Sugar Ray Robinson from the 1970s and 80s. 17. Dodo shares an anecdote about winning a school literary competition in 2018 with an essay about a friend who helped homeless people, earning a 50-euro bookstore voucher he spent on a school textbook. 18. The tone is warm and conversational, with frequent personal digressions including a gaffe about the word 'Pireo' and a discussion of the Rai Museum and Turin's urban transformation. 19. Listeners who follow Italian literary prizes, want a concise guided tour of the Premio Strega 2026 finalists, or enjoy community radio with live acoustic performances will find this episode useful. 20. Listeners looking for in-depth literary criticism, thematic analysis, or content in English will find the episode's brevity per book and conversational format insufficient.

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