Italian
With her debut novel ‘In trasparenza l’anima’ (The Soul in Transparency), she wins the 32nd edition of the award dedicated to first works of fiction
MOGLIANO VENETO (TV, ITALY) – Beatrice Sciarrillo, with her debut novel In trasparenza l’anima (66thand2nd, Bookclub series), is the winner of the 32nd edition of the “Giuseppe Berto” Literary Prize. The award, established in 1988 by Cesare De Michelis in memory of the great Venetian writer, is one of the most prestigious in Italy dedicated to first works of fiction and continues to provide fundamental support to emerging talent.
The award ceremony took place in Mogliano Veneto, Giuseppe Berto’s hometown, during an evening event hosted by journalist Giancarlo Loquenzi. The patron of the event was Antonia Berto, the writer’s daughter, who preserves and passes on her father’s memory.
The jury, chaired by Emanuele Trevi (Premio Strega 2021) and composed of Silvia Avallone, Elena Stancanelli – winner of the Berto Prize in 1999 – Luigi Mascheroni and Emanuele Zinato, recognised Sciarrillo’s novel as a new and incisive voice in the Italian literary landscape. The official statement emphasises how In trasparenza l’anima is “the novel of a body that wants to disappear, told by an ‘I” who, despite everything, in that pain, in the alternation between yielding and resisting the abyss, finds its grace’. Illness, anorexia, thus becomes a tool for deciphering the anxieties of the present, with echoes that refer as much to Annie Ernaux and Simone de Beauvoir as to the great medieval mystics, such as Catherine of Siena.
‘A novel that heralds the birth of a true, serious, composed writer,’ concludes the jury, emphasising the author’s ability to place herself fully within the literary tradition while remaining rooted in the present.
The winner was awarded a cash prize of €5,000. An additional €2,000 was divided among the other four finalists: Antonio Galetta (Pietà, Einaudi), Alberto Locatelli (Airù, Italo Svevo), Anna Mallamo (Col buio me la vedo io, Einaudi) and Rosanna Turone (Santa, NN Editore).
This year, the Berto Prize once again maintained its unique characteristic in the Italian landscape: the alternation of award ceremonies between Mogliano Veneto and Capo Vaticano, in Calabria, where the writer spent most of his life and composed some of his most important works.
The 2025 edition was organised by the Giuseppe Berto Cultural Association, in collaboration with the municipalities of Mogliano Veneto and Ricadi, and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Region of Calabria, the Province of Treviso and the Municipality of Vibo Valentia. The initiative is also supported by the Veneto Region, the City of Mogliano Veneto and private sponsors including San Marco Group and Studio Martini Ingegneria, together with Laerte Palace Hotel and Da Pino. Media partner: Il Nuovo Terraglio.
‘We are proud to continue supporting an award that embodies the values of determination and authenticity,’ said Pietro Geremia, CEO of San Marco Group. ‘The link with Giuseppe Berto’s Venetian and Calabrian roots is very strong, and this initiative has the great merit of promoting debut works and bringing out new voices in Italian fiction.’
With Beatrice Sciarrillo’s victory, the Berto Prize reaffirms its original mission: to give space to young authors, discover talent and offer Italian literature new narrative horizons. In trasparenza l’anima represents the first step for a writer who, as the jury pointed out, seems destined to leave a lasting mark.
