Energheia Award
The international literary award of Matera for young authors
About Energheia Award
Thirty Years of Writing in Matera
The Energheia Award is one of the most long-standing and prestigious literary competitions in Southern Italy. Founded in 1995 and promoted by the Energheia Cultural Association, it has made Matera a focal point for young Italian and European writers. The award is aimed at young authors and is divided into numerous sections: the Energheia Literary Award (short story), I Brevissimi (very short stories), Energheia Cinema, Energheia Comics (comic stories), Energheia Strips (humorous cartoons), the Energheia Europe Award, and Cittadini del Mare (Citizens of the Sea).
An Award with a European Vocation
The Energheia Europe Award involves young European and Middle Eastern writers aged 18 to 30, with participating countries ranging from Austria to Egypt, France to Greece, Ireland to Portugal, Slovenia to Spain. The awards ceremony is traditionally held in September, on the terrace of Palazzo Lanfranchi or in the Garden of the Domenico Ridola Museum, in the heart of Matera.
The International Writing Course
Alongside the award, the association organizes the International Writing Course, a free creative writing workshop open to young authors under 30, conducted entirely in English. The course features international instructors and the collaboration of prestigious institutions: the Spanish Embassy in Italy, the Sorbonne, the University of Basilicata, and the Municipality of Matera.
Matera, City of Culture
The Energheia Award perfectly embodies the cultural vocation of Matera, the city of the Sassi and Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026. The event is supported by the Municipality of Matera and numerous Italian and European cultural partners.
Energheia Award — edition 2026
In 2026, the Energheia Award reaches its 32nd edition. The heart of the week is the 6th edition of the International Writing Course, a free creative writing workshop for under-30s, conducted in English, scheduled from September 7 to 12, 2026, at the University of Matera (Via Castello).
The course features international instructors—including Rubén Abella, Sandra Buljanović Simonović, Maria Chatzikyriakidou, Fernando Clemot, Ulf Peter Hallberg, and Dylan Lyons—and the collaboration of the Spanish Embassy, the Sorbonne, the University of Basilicata, and the Municipality of Matera. The awards ceremony for the various sections of the prize is scheduled for September 2026.
Programme Energheia Award 2026
The detailed schedule for the 2026 edition will be published on the association's official website. The usual structure includes:
- September 7-12: International Writing Course (6th edition), a free writing workshop for under-30s at the University of Matera;
- Contest Sections: Energheia Literary Award (short story), I Brevissimi, Energheia Cinema, Energheia Comics, Energheia Strips, Energheia Europe Award, Citizens of the Sea;
- Awards Ceremony: September 2026, at city venues (terrace of Palazzo Lanfranchi / Garden of the Ridola Museum).
Highlights Energheia Award 2026
Prices Energheia Award 2026
Practical information — Energheia Award
Practical Information
Getting there: Matera is connected to Bari by the FAL railway line; by car, it can be reached from the SS99 via Altamura or the SS7 from Taranto.
Participation: The calls for entries for the various sections are published annually on the association's official website; the International Writing Course is free for under-30s.
Where to stay: Matera offers hotels, B&Bs, and charming accommodations located within the Sassi.
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Where does it take place — Energheia Award
Palazzo Lanfranchi, Giardino del Museo Domenico Ridola e sedi cittadine