News: The writers in the Strega shortlist are not the usual suspects

There was also the astrologer, Simon & the Stars. A good star is always useful, even for the 2025 Strega Prize. For the rest, it's always Groundhog Day: The Roman theater of Benevento, "Nessun dorma" to accompany the images of local monuments (same clip as last year). Stefano Coletta at the microphone to question the twelve writers who will soon be five; and in the meantime he interviews them as if he had wanted to do nothing else, since he was little. Even the writers, not the usual suspects - this year's novelty - have wanted to do nothing else since they were very young.

One hasn't even finished his young age. Elvio Carrieri, the writer of "Poveri a noi", born in Bari in 2004 and a champion of writing speed. He remained outside the top five. Where instead Andrea Bajani, winner of the Strega Giovani yesterday, entered with "L'anniversario": the one in which the protagonist abandons his family, and André Gide's cry "Famiglie io vi odio" is just around the corner.

Second, in order of votes in the top five, Nadia Terranova with “Quel che so di te”. Another family story, but this one is sad and true, attested by medical records. Elisabetta Rasy is in the top five with one of the many finalist novels that rely on real characters: in the case of “Perduto è questo mare”, it is Raffaele La Capria – and of course there is growing up, leaving Naples, and other small or large pains of life.

Paolo Nori enters the top five with “Chiudo la porta e urlo”, which in addition to the beloved Russian writers, read at an impressionable age, tells of Raffaello Baldini: the dialect poet, and then self-translated into Italian, from Santarcangelo di Romagna. Last in the top five – but then the votes that will be revealed on July 3 at the Ninfeo di Villa Giulia, live on Rai Tre, this year without the loose cannon of Geppi Cucciari could change everything – is Michele Ruol. Title: “Inventory of what remains after the strong burns”.

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