The 2026 Pula International Letterary Prize is born, a literary competition included in the official program of the 2026 Pula Letteraria Festival, organized by the Pula Cultura Diffusa Foundation with the aim of promoting contemporary writing and giving space to new voices, in a context capable of uniting the beauty of the area and stories from around the world.
There are two categories. The first is dedicated to published fiction —novels or short story collections published with an ISBN, including self-published works—and offers cash prizes: one thousand euros for first place, seven hundred for second place, and five hundred for third place. The second section focuses on unpublished fiction and offers a particularly valuable prize for those taking their first steps in the publishing world: publication of the work by Camena Edizioni.
The competition is open to Italian and foreign authors, regardless of nationality, as long as they write in Italian or submit a work in another language accompanied by an Italian translation. It is possible to compete in multiple categories, but only one work may be submitted in each category.
To participate, a registration fee of fifteen euros is required for each work submitted. The entry form, downloadable from the festival's official website, must be submitted in PDF format along with the work and receipt of payment, exclusively by email. The registration deadline is June 30, 2026.
The works will be judged by a high-profile jury, chaired by writer Francesco Abate, a key figure in contemporary Sardinian fiction. He will be joined by writer Lorenza Gentile, writer Paolo Roversi, journalists Alessandra Menesini and Paola Pilia, writer Antonio Boggio, professors Franco Musarra and Ulla Schrøder—former professors of literature at KU Leuven University—writer and creative writing instructor Andrea Fulgheri, and television host and author Maria Pina Doi.
The award schedule calls for the publication of the shortlist of finalists on July 25, 2026, through the festival's official channels. The winners, however, will be announced only during the awards ceremony on August 29, 2026, during the closing evening of the Pula Letteraria Festival, amidst the evocative backdrop of the archaeological site of Nora and the Royal Court of Justice.
The complete announcement and registration form are available on the website www.pulaletteraria.it.
