The Crotone Prize (Italian: Premio Crotone, IPA: [pre.mjo.kroˈtoːne]) 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]
History
editThe first official award ceremony took place in November 1956,[1] 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[2][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.[2][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[1] due to financial and logistical challenges.[2] 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.[8]
Winners
edit| 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[5] Magic: A Theory from the South The Eclipse of the Intellectual |
Pier Paolo Pasolini[5] Ernesto de Martino Elémire Zolla |
| V | 1960 | Speranzella | Carlo Bernari |
| VI | 1961 | An Absurd Vice: A Biography of Cesare Pavese | Davide Lajolo |
| VII | 1962 | The Day of the Owl | Leonardo Sciascia |
| VIII | 1963 | Tibi e Tascia The Hour of All |
Saverio Strati Maria Corti |
References
edit- ^ a b c Redazione (2022). "Compie 70 anni il "Premio Crotone"" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ a b c d Maurizio Fiorino (2021). "Storia dimenticata di un premio letterario nel sud Italia degli anni Cinquanta" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ Redazione (2023). "Da Pasolini a Ungaretti: la storia del Premio Crotone approda al Gravina" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ Redazione (2022). "La mostra che indaga il legame tra Pasolini e la Calabria" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ a b c "Il prefetto di Catanzaro annulla il premio allo scrittore Pasolini". archiviolastampa.it (in Italian). 1959-11-28. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ Maria Concetta Loria (2023). "Pasolini e la Calabria: un viaggio tra passato e futuro" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ Redazione (2022). "Uno sguardo al passato ricordando il Premio Crotone e Pasolini" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ a b Vincenzo Montalcini (2024). "Perché non riproporre il "Premio Crotone" in vecchio stile?" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-03.
Bibliography
edit- Rocco Turi (1993). Riscriviamo la storia del premio Crotone (in Italian). Catanzaro: Grafiche Abramo.
- Gaetano Leonardi; Christian Palmieri (2013). Il «Premio Crotone» (1952–1963). Impegno culturale e nuovo meridionalismo (in Italian). Crotone: Città del Sole. ISBN 978-88-735-1674-3.
- Gaetano Leonardi; Christian Palmieri (2022). Intellettuali e Mezzogiorno. Volti e immagini di un premio. Il Premio Crotone (1956–1963) (in Italian). Crotone: Città del Sole. ISBN 978-88-8238-333-6.
- Christian Palmieri (2024). Pasolini e la Calabria. Atti del Convegno di Acri, 24-25 marzo 2023 (in Italian). Cosenza: Luigi Pellegrini Editore. ISBN 979-12-2050-198-9.
