Diego De Silva wins the Viareggio-Rèpaci Award

For the narrative category with "The closing credits of a life together" (Einaudi)

Diego De Silva is the winner of the 96th edition of the Viareggio-Rèpaci Literary Prize in the fiction category with "I crediti di coda di una vita insieme" (Einaudi). The victory was announced on the night of Saturday, July 26, in Piazza Mazzini in Viareggio (Lucca), by jury president Paolo Mieli, who presented the author with the prestigious award. According to the jury, in the novel, De Silva, "with his unfailing irony, which has become a tool for focusing on what truly matters, manages to powerfully recount—through the voices of Fosco and Alice—hopes, disappointments, forgotten happiness, and that tangle of emotions that always accompanies the end of a love affair."

"I was a finalist for the Viareggio-Rèpaci Prize in 2001 as a debut author. Today, 25 years and 14 books later, I could say I no longer feel the emotions I once did, but that's not the case," De Silva commented. "Winning the Viareggio Prize, for its history and prestige, and for that connection with that shy me of 25 years ago, is truly moving. Especially because 'The Final Credits of a Life Together,' of all the books I've written, is perhaps the one most charged with experience."

The awards ceremony, hosted by Tg1 journalist Monia Venturini, with compelling and cutting commentary by Riccardo Rossi, also featured the other fiction finalists—Dario Buzzolan (Baracca e Burattini, Mondadori) and Massimiliano Governi (Il pronipote di Salgari, Baldini e Castoldi)—as well as award winners Mariangela Gualtieri, winner of the poetry prize for "Ruvido umano" (Einaudi), and Ernesto Galli della Loggia, winner of the nonfiction prize for "Una capitale per l'Italia" (Il Mulino). Special prizes also went to Paulina Spiechowicz (International Prize), Alessandra Sardoni (Journalism Prize), and Sofia Assante (First Work Prize).

"The Viareggio-Rèpaci Prize continues to be a meeting place between generations, languages, and worldviews," said Paolo Mieli during the ceremony. "This is its greatest value, which we strive to preserve and renew each year as we look toward the new century. This edition, too, stood out for the exceptionally high quality of the competing works, which successfully combined depth of thought, stylistic originality, and a strong connection to the urgent needs of our time."

"I would like to thank all the authors who participated, the jury members for their rigorous and passionate commitment, and the audience who participated so enthusiastically in every phase of the award process. It was wonderful to see the audience packed again this year. A special applause goes to the winners, whose works offered new perspectives and food for thought," added jury vice president Leonardo Colombati.