Bernardo Zannoni with “My stupid intentions” (Sellerio) is the winner of the Campiello Prize, now in its 60th edition. The proclamation took place this evening at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice. For the 27-year-old writer from Sarzana (La Spezia), it was a triumph, outclassing the other finalists by a large margin: he obtained 101 votes out of 275 voters (25 members of the Readers’ Jury – 300 in total – did not express preferences). Zannoni received the ‘true madman’, a symbol of the prestigious literary recognition promoted by Confindustria Veneto. “I was so convinced that I would not have won, that I had not even prepared the speech”, were the first words spoken with emotion by Zannoni. “I come from almost nothing and I thank those who believed in me. It is my first published work and I have already made a mess”. “My life has changed 100%, I am very happy – added Zannoni – I started writing this novel at the age of 21, after various experiences of composition – songs, poems, screenplays – I had the courage to return to prose, more tiring and complicated. Italy can be a country for young people who want to read, train and learn. Study and education are fundamental “. The president of the Literary Jury, Walter Veltroni, presented the prize: “I am honored to award a 27-year-old young man in a country that is often not a country for young people”. Antonio Pascale ranked second with “The leaf of fig. Stories of trees, women, men “(Einaudi) with 54 votes; third Elena Stancanelli with “Il tuffatore” (The ship of Teseo) with 46 votes; in fourth Fabio Bacà with “Nova” (Adelphi) with 43 votes; at the fifth Daniels Ranieri with “Updated road map of all my kisses” (Ponte alle Grazie) with 31 votes. During the ceremony, the winners of the other awards provided by the Il Campiello Foundation were also awarded: the winner of the Campiello Giovani, Alberto Bartolo Varsalona, 21 years old from Palermo; the Opera Prima, awarded to Francesca Valente for “Other nothing to report” (Einaudi); the Il Campiello Foundation Award, this year’s career recognition awarded to Corrado Stajano; Antonella Sbuelz, winner of the first edition of Campiello Junior. The Campiello Award wanted to celebrate 60 years with “Il Campiello dei Campielli”. The Literary Jury has decided to indicate a work, among those awarded over the years, which tells and represents the history of the Campiello Prize. The novel “La tregua” by Primo Levi – the winner of the first edition of the Campiello Prize in 1963 – was chosen, “for the important civil testimony and for the extraordinary literary quality of its texts”. “We wanted to recognize in Primo Levi who won the Campiello twice, the first time with ‘La trgua’ and then in 1982 with ‘Se non ora ora’, we wanted to recognize the value of civil testimony and also the literary value of his work. it seemed representative of the history of these 60 years and therefore by rewarding him, we wanted to reward the Prize and those who won it “, said Veltroni. “Literary prizes and literature are the saga of freedom. Freedom is the sign that characterizes the Campiello Prize”. The figure of Primo Levi was remembered this evening with a video message from life senator Liliana Segre: “Primo Levi had the ability to prose the unspeakable, the tragedy of the Shoh. The truce for the survivors was absolutely necessary”. The 60th edition of the Campiello was also celebrated with the return to the historic headquarters of the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, left due to Covid for two years, moving first in 2020 to Piazza San Marco and then in 2021 to the Arsenale of Venice. Conducted by Francesca Fialdini, well-known face of Rai1, the ceremony was attended by a parterre of about 1,000 guests including institutional guests, representatives of the business world, culture and publishing houses. Among the guests the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, the minister for relations with the Parliament, Federico D’Incà, the prefect of Venice, Vittorio Zappalorto. During the evening two special guests: the musician (Lo Stato Sociale) and actor (Biraghi Award 2021) Lodo Guenzi, who will contribute to the show with interventions and readings, the violinist and composer Rodrigo D’Erasmo enlivened the evening with music that traced the 60 years of history of the Award and the singer Diodato who performed some great pieces of the Italian song. (from the correspondent Paolo Martini)