With "The Girl Without Roots," published by Garzanti, writer Cristina Caboni won the ninth edition of the Vermentino National Wine and Literary Prize. The award ceremony was held at the Archaeological Museum of Olbia.
"Winning this important award makes me happy and excited," said the author. "I tell the story of women's strength with the metaphor of the vine that sheds its leaves in autumn and then reborn in spring. The idea stems from a connection to the land I have as a beekeeper and then from inspiration, drawn from a documentary, about a Sardinian wine emerging from the waters."
In the novel, one woman is rootless, the other searches for her son: Caboni pays tribute to the community of Fertilia that rallied around the exiles of Venezia Giulia in the 1950s. "It is through these gestures of great friendship and welcome that the world changes." During the ceremony, introduced with his usual irony by Neri Marcorè, there was prolonged applause for the writer who has repeatedly topped the bestseller lists, a sign of the affection of readers but also of the esteem of a new generation of writers, such as Clizia Fornasier, who won a special mention for her latest work, "Volevo sognarmi lontana," published by Harpercollins.
"I always advise anyone approaching writing, as I did," Caboni concludes, "to first become avid readers and read everything." The Prize is growing in importance and participation; this edition was presented in Milan, before an audience of publishers, book influencers, journalists, and booksellers.
"The Award was an important cultural experiment and a way to raise awareness of the area," said Sabrina Serra, the Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Olbia and a member of the jury. "The winners were chosen not only for the quality of their writing, but also for the emotion they conveyed. It will be crucial to continue collaborating with the schools." This year's Award, sponsored by the Sassari Chamber of Commerce and the Municipalities of Olbia and Castelnuovo Magra, saw an ever-increasing participation from students from the "A. Gramsci" Classical-Linguistic High School. During the final ceremony, they showcased their extensive work, led by actor Daniele Monachella, on the finalist books: from literary readings to book trailers with original music, to interviews with the authors.
"The Vermentino Wine and Literary Award remains a key element not only for territorial development, which must diversify, but also an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of culture and its contribution to a region's growth. This year's ninth edition has once again demonstrated how much publishers and authors care about participating in our Award," said Stefano Visconti, President of the Sassari Chamber of Commerce. "It's no coincidence that interest is constantly growing, and the Award's reputation is more consolidated than ever nationally and is ready to be extended to foreign publishers as well."
Other awards include a special mention to Enrico Beccastrini for “DOCG: di origine criminale garantita” (Carmignani Editori); the Territory Award, jointly awarded to Franco Faggiani for “Basta un filo di vento” (Fazi Editore) and Ludovica Elder for “I vestiti della domenica” (Piemme); and finally, the newly created award for foreign fiction goes to Laure Gasparotto and Alain Grillot for “Intrecci di vite” (Ampelos Editions).
"All the books represented share the common thread of roots, time, and courage," emphasized the Award's president, Maria Amelia Lai. "We are shaped by our roots, but then we are defined by the choices we make. The Chamber of Commerce chose to establish this Award to tell the story not only of Sardinia but of the lives of all its territories."
The closing remarks were entrusted to Pietro Esposito, the event's creator: "I am very proud that a Sardinian writer has won, for the second time in the history of the competition," said the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce. "I thank everyone who has worked over the past few months to bring today's ceremony to fruition."