Sparks between Minister of Culture Giuli and the Strega Prize

There is no peace between the Strega prize and the culture ministers of the Meloni government.

In 2023, the clash between Gennaro Sangiuliano and Geppi Cucciari took center stage - she asked the then minister for his opinion on the finalist books and he replied that he would like to study them in more depth, to which Geppi uttered the joke that went viral: "ah, he hasn't read them!".

In 2024, therefore, the minister deserted the award and now the current one, Alessandro Giuli , will not be at today's final ceremony. He will be absent to participate in bilateral meetings in Berlin and the inauguration of the exhibition on the bronzes of San Casciano, but on the eve there is controversy with the organizers: "I note the fact that I was invited to the evening of the Strega award, they were very nice, but I did not receive any contact or any book. It is a bit strange that one should go to the evening of the Strega award having not received the books for which the evening is organized. That said, the joke, because that is what it is: it is clear that they consider me an 'enemy of Sunday'", says Giuli.

Strega Prize 2025 (rainews.it)

The response from the main Italian literary award was not long in coming: "Relations with the minister have always been friendly, we greeted each other cordially at the last Turin Book Fair. We did not send him the prize books because we ask publishers to send them only to the Strega jury, from which he resigned the same day as his appointment to the Ministry of Culture. In his letter he wrote: 'Taking up this office does not allow me to continue to carry out my duties as a member of the group Amici della Domenica - Premio Strega, awarded to me in my capacity as President of the Maxxi Foundation. Therefore, I hereby resign with immediate effect from this body'" underlines the director of the Bellonci Foundation, Stefano Petrocchi .

"Of course, the minister was among the guests at the final evening at Villa Giulia, as he was previously at the Strega poetry prize last October 9, and we will be happy to welcome him back next year for our eightieth edition. If he would like to return to be part of the jury of the prize, we would be equally honored," says Petrocchi.

The minister jokes about his absence: "The evening will be beautiful all the same. Maybe a little less fun, without Geppi Cucciari and Alessandro Giuli ". "I dedicate myself - he adds - to seeking European funds for culture by going to speak with my German counterpart in Germany. I'm not even a juror, I don't have the title of juror, I obviously don't have any title anymore, but you should ask the Bellonci Foundation about that". The books? "Then maybe I'll buy them for the pleasure of reading them, because I do have the pleasure of reading".

Strega Prize (Rainews24)

For two consecutive years, the Strega final at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome has been held without the presence of the Minister of Culture. It is to be hoped that in 2026, when the 80th anniversary of the main Italian literary prize will be celebrated - "So from July 4th we will all be working" said the president of the Bellonci foundation, Giovanni Solimine - things will go a little better. The super favorite of this edition remains Andrea Bajani with 'L'anniversario' (Feltrinelli) , already winner of the Strega young people's prize 2025. He will be hot on the heels of Nadia Terranova with "Quello che so di te" (Guanda) , also a favorite to win, but Elisabetta Rasy is also on the rise with "Perduto è questo mare (Rizzoli) so much so that a three-way challenge with a high probability of two for second place seems to be taking shape.

The other authors in the running are Paolo Nori with “Chiudo la porta e urlo” (Mondadori) and Michele Ruol with Inventario di quel che resta dopo che la foresta brucia" (Terrarossa) . Geppi Cucciari will also be missed by Pino Strabioli who was hosting with her in 2024. This time, at the evening live on Rai3 from 10.50pm, there will be Filippo Timi who "has prepared five theatrical moments taking the incipits of the books of the five finalists", Anna Foglietta who will go on stage remembering Pasolini 50 years after his death and following the thread that unites the five books, the family. Anna Foa, recent winner of the first edition of the Strega non-fiction prize with 'Il dottrina del israele' (Laterza) , will be interviewed.