Galtellì, Canne al Vento Award: Over 200 Stories from Around the World

The literary competition inspired by Grazia Deledda has enjoyed international success. The "Canne al Vento" International Literary Prize, sponsored by the Municipality of Galtellì in honor of Nobel Prize-winning writer Grazia Deledda, closed recently with a result that exceeded all expectations: 207 stories were received from all over the world.
Divided into two sections—short stories in Italian/English and short stories in Sardinian—the texts come from 25 different countries, a testament to the evocative and contemporary power of Deledda's work. The Prize numbers: 147 advance submissions in Italian, 36 stories in English, 24 stories in Sardinian (some even arriving from Rome and Berlin, demonstrating the vitality of the Sardinian language beyond the island).
Participants come from far and wide: India, Nigeria, Canada, Scotland, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Australia, Iran, South Africa, Germany, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ukraine, and many others. Interesting fact: three Italians chose to write in English, while one Egyptian author submitted a story in Italian.
This exceptional result is the fruit of a collective effort: the artistic direction team, the Prize secretariat, and the social media group have enabled widespread and international dissemination of the call. "This Prize is our living, breathing tribute to Grazia Deledda," explains Mayor Franco Solinas, "an initiative that is bringing our country and Sardinia to the world through culture and writing. We are proud of what we have sown."
Neria Giovanni, president of the competition jury: "One of the peculiarities of this literary prize is that it places emerging writers on the same level as those with several publications under their belt. Since its inception, the Grazia Deledda competition has had the merit of equating the Sardinian language with Italian and English: the number of short stories in limba It's constantly growing, we've received works written in Campidanese, Gallurese, and Logudorese. Thanks to the great commitment of the Jane Austen Literary Club, ours is the only competition that manages to include works from every region of Italy, and even reaches across ocean borders. This year, we received stories from Australia, California, Vietnam, Ukraine, and many other countries around the world.
Giuditta Sireus, director of the Jane Austen Club: "We are very pleased with the result: we have reached so many places around the world, including Italy. It has been gratifying and helps us understand that, through intelligent commitment, Grazia Deledda can become known globally. Furthermore, this fact gives us the certainty that the writer from Nuoro is neither unknown nor forgotten."
The judging process now begins, with the jury selecting the finalist stories. The awards ceremony will be held in Galtellì on September 13th, during the "Canne al Vento" literary festival.