This announcement marks the beginning of the 29th edition of the Premio Campiello Giovani, a young people’s literary competition for the composition of an Italian short tale with no set topic that is open to anyone between the ages of 15 and 21.
The competition is for young people, living in Italy and abroad, who are between the ages of 15 and 21 (i.e., who are 15 years old at the time of submission and have not yet turned 22). The subject of the competition is a free-theme short story in Italian that must be at least 10 pages long and cannot exceed 20 pages. Works created in groups are not accepted.
The short tale has to be written in a justified manner with double spacing, Times New Roman font size 12, and numbered pages. The stories must be transmitted in digital format and anonymously; just the title, not the author’s name, should appear on the first page.
All anonymous and numbered entries will be sent to the Selection Jury, which consists of journalists, publishing house readers, and previous edition winners/finalists. By March 13, 2024, the jury must choose 12 pieces to move on to the next round of the competition.
The works selected by the Selection Jury will be assessed by a Technical Committee made up of many experts in modern and contemporary literature, and the committee will then select the five finalists who will be revealed.
During the prize’s final evenings, the Campiello Prize Jury will select and present the ultimate winner from the five finalists. The five winning pieces, which will remain the property of the Fondazione Il Campiello, will be collected in a book that the organization will edit for institutional use. The finalists will be entitled to an endowment of books and an invitation to the Campiello Prize award ceremony. Together with participating in all competition-promoting activities, the finalists and winner will also commit to working with the Fondazione Il Campiello to compose additional texts upon request.
A two-week study vacation in a European nation will be granted to the Campiello Giovani competition winner.
The Selection Jury will select entries and among them, short stories dealing with social and environmental sustainability may receive special acknowledgement. Additionally, the best story on the theme of travel, whether understood in its most common sense or in an abstract sense, will receive special recognition. As is customary, there will also be a “special mention for young entrepreneurs” for the best story that touches on the theme of business culture in the setting or protagonists’ descriptions, paying special attention to the entrepreneurship of women and young people, culture, and anything else that speaks to ideas, ethics, and shared values for a cohesive vision and management of the business. A technical commission made up of members of the national secretariat and young entrepreneurs will provide this mention.
The story submission deadline is January 11, 2024. To obtain further details or explanations, please contact giovani@premiocampiello.it
