Poppea Sabina Prize

A literary prize in the heart of Oplontis

The Poppea Sabina Prize was born in Torre Annunziata, in the province of Naples, to provide a concrete space for contemporary creative writing. Promoted by the Pro Loco Oplonti Marina del Sole APS, the competition debuted in 2025 and immediately established itself as one of the most popular cultural events in the Vesuvius area, engaging students, debut authors, and theatre enthusiasts from beyond the region.

The name pays homage to Poppea Sabina, the ancient figure linked to the Oplontis archaeological site that defines the identity of the local area: a way to unite the memory of the past with the stories of the present, entrusted to the words of today's writers.

Two categories: poetry and monologue

The prize is divided into two categories, both reserved for strictly original works:

• Original Poetry — reading with a maximum duration of four minutes;
• Original Theatrical Monologue — performance with a maximum duration of seven minutes.

Each author may compete with only one work per category and may enter both. Participation is open to everyone, without age or nationality limits, and there is total thematic freedom: no imposed topics, no preferred styles.

How to participate

Registration is completely free. Entries must be sent in PDF or Word format to the Pro Loco Oplonti email address, accompanied by a declaration of originality and a short biography of the author. A reading committee carries out an initial selection to identify the five finalists admitted to the final evening for each category.

The final evening

The most anticipated moment is the final evening, which takes place live before an audience and the jury. The finalists do not simply submit a text: they take the stage and perform their work. The evaluation takes into account the literary quality of the writing as well as the performance, i.e., the interpretation, stage presence, and communicative ability.

Winners receive the Poppea statuette, created by Professor Filippo Telese; finalists receive medals and certificates of participation, in addition to special mentions awarded by the jury.

The first edition in 2025

The inaugural edition concluded on May 30, 2025, at the Suore Mazzarello theatre in Torre Annunziata. The prize for the poetry category went to L'eco del niente by Roberta De Rosa, a student at the Pitagora-Croce high school in Torre Annunziata, while the monologue section was won by Le cozze by Nika Perrone, who travelled from Rome. The jury was chaired by writer and journalist Giovanni Taranto, joined by literary critic Felicio Izzo, editor Carla Fiorentino, writer Nino Vicidomini, and Councillor for Culture Lina Nappo.

The bond with schools

One of the distinctive features of the Poppea Sabina Prize is the involvement of local high schools: the first edition saw very strong participation from Oplontis students, and several jury mentions went to very young authors. The competition thus also functions as a widespread writing workshop, guiding young people from the page to the stage.

Torre Annunziata and the Campania context

Torre Annunziata overlooks the Gulf of Naples, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, and is best known for the Oplontis archaeological site, its pasta-making tradition, and its seafront. In a city that has invested in its cultural offerings in recent years, the Poppea Sabina Prize represents an important step in its revival: an event at zero cost for participants, built by voluntary associations and supported by the Municipality of Torre Annunziata and the Metropolitan City of Naples with moral patronage.

Who organizes it

Behind the prize is the Pro Loco Oplonti Marina del Sole APS, led by president Luigi Scognamiglio, which is active in the tourism and cultural promotion of the Oplontis area. The headquarters are located in via Sepolcri, a few steps from the excavations, and serve as the reference point for information on the call for entries, deadlines, and the final evening.