“The anniversary” by Paolo Bajani is the winning book of 2025. Here is the complete list of novels awarded from 2005 to today
The Strega Prize is the most prestigious literary recognition in Italy, awarded every year to the best narrative book written in Italian and published between 1 March of the previous year and on February 28 of the current year. Born to enhance contemporary fiction, the prize today represents a point of reference for readers, publishers and authors, as well as a showcase of excellence for Italian literature.
Established in 1947 on the initiative of Maria Bellonci and with the support of the manufacturer of Liquori Guido Alberti, owner of the manufacturer of the famous Strega liqueur – from which he takes his name – the prize has been able to renew himself over time while keeping his prestige and critical rigor intact.
A story of culture and debate
Since its first edition, won by Ennio Flaiano with Time to killthe Strega Prize has embodied a place of intellectual and cultural comparison. His winners tell the history of the country through the lens of literature, often anticipating social, political and linguistic changes.
The prize is awarded by the Maria and Goffredo Bellonci Foundation, in collaboration with the Witch liqueur, thanks to the vote of the “Friends of Sunday”, a group made up of intellectuals and writers close to the Bellonci, now expanded to about 660 jurors, including personalities of culture, strong readers, translators, scholars and representatives of Italian and foreign cultural institutions.
The 2025 edition: the finalists and the winner
The 2025 edition of the Strega Prize has confirmed itself as one of the most lively and participatory in recent years, both for the quality of the works selected and for the heterogeneity of the authors in the race. The finalist cinquina was announced at the Roman theater in Benevento last June, as per recent tradition.
- Andrea Bajani, The anniversary (Feltrinelli)
- Nadia Terranova, What I know of you (Guanda)
- Elisabetta Rasy, Lost this sea is (Rizzoli)
- Paolo Nori, I close the door and scream (Mondadori)
- Michele Ruol, Inventory of what remains after the forest burns (Terrarossa)
The final evening was held, like every year, in Villa Giulia in Rome, in a frame that combines elegance and tradition. The winning work is: The anniversary by Andrea Bajani.
The winners of the last 20 years
In the last two decades, the Strega Prize has rewarded authors and works that have deeply marked contemporary Italian literature. Below, a list of winners from 2005 to 2024:
- 2024 – Donatella di Pietrantonio, The fragile age
- 2023 – Adam of Adam, Like air
- 2022 – Mario Desiati, Scattered
- 2021 – Emanuele Trevi, Two lives
- 2020 – Sandro Veronesi, The colibrì
- 2019 – Antonio Scurati, M. The son of the century
- 2018 – Helena Janeczek, The girl with the Leica
- 2017 – Paolo Cognetti, The eight mountains
- 2016 – Edoardo Albinati, The Catholic School
- 2015 – Nicola Lagioia, Ferocity
- 2014 – Francesco Piccolo, The desire to be like everyone
- 2013 – Walter Sites, Resist it is useless
- 2012 – Alessandro Piperno, Inseparable
- 2011 – Edoardo Nesi, History of my people
- 2010 – Antonio Pennacchi, Mussolini canal
- 2009 – Tiziano Scarpa, Stabat Mater
- 2008 – Paolo Giordano, The loneliness of prime numbers
- 2007 – Niccolò Ammaniti, As God commands
- 2006 – Sandro Veronesi, Calm chaos
- 2005 – Francesco Piccolo, The imperfect time
