Langhe Giant Week – Il Gigante delle Langhe Award
National Children's Literature Award and reading festival in Cortemilia
About Il Gigante delle Langhe
A week dedicated to books and young readers
Every spring, the Municipality of Cortemilia, a small village in the Alta Langa in the province of Cuneo, becomes the hub of a grand celebration of reading. The Langhe Giant Week is the beating heart of the National Children's Literature Award «il gigante delle Langhe» and offers a packed week-long program of activities dedicated to books, stories, and literature for children and teenagers. Events take place primarily in Cortemilia, with additional activities held in other towns of the Langa and Langa Astigiana regions, such as Alba, Monesiglio, Monastero Bormida, and Bistagno.
The history of the Award
The Award was established in 2001, inspired by an initiative of the Ecomuseo dei Terrazzamenti e della Vite, which in 1999 asked primary school children in Cortemilia to imagine who might have built the terraced landscape of the Alta Langa. The winning story, «il gigante delle Langhe», gave its name to the character and the Award. Coordinated by the «Michele Ferrero» Civic Library and the Municipality of Cortemilia, the recognition has grown to become one of Italy's premier events for children's literature.
Award Categories
- Narrative Section – Eugenio Pintore Award, with two age groups (8-10 and 11-14 years);
- Illustration Section – Emanuele Luzzati Award, dedicated to illustrated books;
- Children's Stories Section – Francesco Langella Award, reserved for school class projects.
The unique feature of the Award is the youth jury: thousands of young readers – over 7,500 from schools across Italy – read the competing books and cast their votes, making the audience the true protagonist of the verdict.
The «Giant of the Year»
Each edition also presents the «Giant of the Year» award to a personality from the worlds of culture, sports, or society who has distinguished themselves as a positive role model for young people. The ceremony takes place in the evocative setting of the Church of the Convento di San Francesco or at the «Michele Ferrero» Civic Library.
An event for the region
The event is supported by the Piedmont Region, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo, and the Fondazione Ferrero of Alba, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture. Beyond its cultural value, the Langhe Giant Week is an opportunity to discover Cortemilia and the Alta Langa, a land of hazelnuts, UNESCO-listed terraced landscapes, and a strong Piedmontese identity.
Il Gigante delle Langhe — edition 2026
XXIV edizione – 2026
Dal 22 al 28 marzo 2026 Cortemilia è stata la capitale della letteratura per ragazzi con un ricco programma di spettacoli teatrali, incontri con gli autori, laboratori e passeggiate, esteso anche ad Alba, Monesiglio, Monastero Bormida e Bistagno.
I vincitori
- Narrativa 8-10 anni: Gaja Cenciarelli con «Il brugattolo» (Rizzoli);
- Narrativa 11-14 anni: Manlio Castagna con «Di fuoco e seta» (Mondadori);
- Illustrazione – Premio Emanuele Luzzati: Anna Mosca con «Farfalle» (Edizioni Corsare);
- Racconti dei bambini – Premio Francesco Langella: la classe seconda della Scuola Primaria di Monastero Bormida con «L'albero dei libri».
Il 28 marzo il riconoscimento «Gigante dell'anno 2026» è stato conferito a Giuseppe Culicchia, direttore della Fondazione Circolo dei lettori di Torino, scrittore e saggista.
Programme Il Gigante delle Langhe 2026
Programma 2026
- 22-28 marzo: Settimana del Gigante – spettacoli teatrali, incontri con gli autori, laboratori, letture e passeggiate a Cortemilia e nei paesi della Langa;
- 26 marzo: cerimonia di premiazione della XXIV edizione nella Chiesa del Convento di San Francesco, con diretta online per scuole e case editrici;
- 28 marzo: consegna del «Gigante dell'anno 2026» a Giuseppe Culicchia presso la Biblioteca Civica Michele Ferrero.
Highlights Il Gigante delle Langhe 2026
Prices Il Gigante delle Langhe 2026
Practical information — Il Gigante delle Langhe
Getting there
Cortemilia is located in the Alta Langa, in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont). By car, it can be reached via the A6 Turin-Savona motorway (Ceva or Millesimo exit) and the A33 Asti-Cuneo motorway, then following the provincial roads of the Langa. The nearest train station with good connections is in Alba.
Main venues
Church of the Convento di San Francesco (award ceremony) and «Michele Ferrero» Civic Library, Via Dante Alighieri 1 / Piazza Oscar Molinari, Cortemilia.
Admission and information
Most events are free, and many initiatives are aimed at schools. For the updated program: gigantedellelanghe.it, tel. +39 0173 81027, [email protected].
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Il Gigante delle Langhe
Chiesa del Convento di San Francesco / Biblioteca Civica Michele Ferrero
Via Dante Alighieri 1, 12074 Cortemilia