Elsa Morante Prize

Kraak! Did you know that among the wind and colorful houses of Procida, a story was born that reached the whole world? In 1957, Elsa Morante won the Strega Prize with her novel "Arturo’s Island", set right here, in the years before the Second World War.

Criii! Since then, the bond between Procida and this great writer has become as strong as a rope tied to a harbor. That’s why the Literary Prize “Procida, Isola di Arturo, Elsa Morante” exists, dedicated to the most important Italian writer of the 20th century and to the island that inspired her work.

This prize was established in 1986, through an official act of the Municipality — a municipal resolution, meaning a formal administrative decision — just a few months after Elsa Morante’s passing. A way to keep her connection to Procida alive.

Squa-squa! Since its beginning, the Municipality of Procida has organized the award, continuing the tradition of celebrating the writer during the autumn days, when the island grows quieter and stories seem to echo even more.

Kraak! And here’s something interesting: in 2016, during its 29th edition, the prize was renewed. The technical juries — expert panels evaluating the works — were updated for the Fiction and Sea sections, and a popular jury was created, chosen by local bookstores and schools.

Criii! On top of that, important collaborations were established with the National Central Library and the General Directorate for Libraries and Cultural Institutes. A meeting of voices and stories, like waves crossing around the island.

Squa-squa! If you love stories — the kind that carry the scent of the sea and memory — this is something you should experience. Because here in Procida, words don’t just stay on the page… they take flight, just like me.