Enrico Trione National Literary Award: A Fairy Tale for the Mountains

A prize born from a love for the mountains and the written word

The Enrico Trione National Literary Award: A Fairy Tale for the Mountains is one of the most heartfelt cultural events in the Canavese region, nestled in the heart of the Orco and Soana Valleys in the Province of Turin. The competition was founded in Pont Canavese by the 'l Péilacan association to honor the memory of Enrico Trione, a member and friend who passed away prematurely in 2001. His two great passions—writing and the mountains—became the very essence of the award.

Over the years, the event has grown to become the "Gran Paradiso National Park Award," thanks to a collaboration established in 2006 with the park authority. Since 2019, the awards ceremony has become itinerant: every year it moves to a different village within the protected area, bringing culture and literature to the mountain hamlets.

The four competition categories

The call for entries invites writers to submit a fairy tale inspired by the mountains, divided into four categories:

• Italian section — the main category, open to everyone;
• Piedmontese section — fairy tales written in the Piedmontese language;
• Franco-Provençal section — dedicated to the historic language of the alpine valleys of Canavese;
• Youth section — reserved for younger writers and local schools.

One of the most beloved features of the award is the special recognition that transforms one of the winning fairy tales into an animated short film, created by illustrator Mario Bondici. The selected works are also compiled into an annual volume presented during the ceremony.

2026 Edition in Alpette: The stars and the firmament

The 25th edition chooses the firmament as its theme: suns, moons, stars, comets, and galaxies become the fairy-tale backdrop offered to authors, inviting them to look up toward the infinite. It is no coincidence that the awards ceremony will be held in Alpette, a small mountain town that hosts the "Don Giovanni Capace" Astronomical Center, complete with an observatory and planetarium—the ideal setting for an edition dedicated to the stars.

The jury is chaired by Giovanni Tesio, a university professor and literary critic who wrote for the newspaper La Stampa for thirty years. The event is supported by the Gran Paradiso National Park, the Piedmont Region, and the Fondazione CRT.

A landmark event for the region

The awards day, which is free and open to the public, is a celebration for the entire Canavese area: it features readings of the winning fairy tales, the presentation of the new volume, the awarding of prizes, and the presence of local authorities and park representatives. For those who love literature, the mountains, and the linguistic traditions of Piedmont, "A Fairy Tale for the Mountains" is a precious opportunity to discover Alpette and the Orco and Soana Valleys.