Stresa Fiction Prize Final Ceremony

A historic prize on Lake Maggiore

The Stresa Fiction Prize is one of Italy's most prestigious and long-standing literary awards. Founded in 1976 by a group of intellectuals including Mario Bonfantini, Mario Soldati, Piero Chiara, Gianfranco Lazzaro, and Franco Esposito, the prize has featured renowned figures such as Carlo Bo, Giovanni Spadolini, Giorgio Barberi Squarotti, and Primo Levi on its early juries. After a hiatus between 1985 and 1994, the prize was revived in 1995 thanks to the Stresa Pro Loco Tourist Association APS, which has organized it annually ever since under the patronage of the Municipality of Stresa.

The Final Ceremony

The heart of the prize is the Final Ceremony, held every year in the second half of October in the Art Nouveau halls of the Hotel Regina Palace in Stresa, on the shores of Lake Maggiore facing the Borromean Islands. It is during this afternoon that the edition's winner is announced, chosen from the five finalists of the so-called cinquina (shortlist). Admission is free, and the event attracts readers, authors, publishers, and cultural professionals from all over Piedmont and beyond.

How the prize works

The prize is reserved for works of fiction in the Italian language published in Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland. A jury of critics selects a shortlist of five finalists each year; the authors are then hosted in Stresa during the summer to present their works to the public. The winner is ultimately decided by an expanded jury that combines critics and readers, with the announcement taking place during the autumn Final Ceremony. Alongside the main prize, several special plaques are awarded, including the historic "Gianfranco Lazzaro" Plaque.

Recent winners

• 2025: Antonio Albanese, La strada giovane (Feltrinelli)
• 2024: Federica Manzon, Alma (Feltrinelli)
• 2023: Matteo B. Bianchi, La vita di chi resta (Mondadori)

Stresa and the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola area

Stresa is one of the tourist gems of Lake Maggiore, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, famous for its historic hotels, gardens, and views of the Borromean Islands. Hosting a long-standing literary prize confirms the cultural vocation of this Piedmontese town, which every autumn transforms the hall of a grand Art Nouveau hotel into a meeting place for writers and readers.