The Città di Castello Award adds a special section dedicated to prisoners – Corriere.it

Il Literary Prize Città di Castello has a new special area. It’s called “Destination Elsewhere.” “Writing as an exploration of timeless worlds” will be permanently and exclusively reserved for inmates of Italian prisons: the first category of its kind in Italy. The launch of the new section comes with the 18th edition of the Prize for Unpublished Works, which has been taking shape in the last few days (the general call for the fiction, poetry and non-fiction sections runs until June 30).

The founding of the section began with the signature in Rome, at the headquarters of the Penitentiary Administration. of the Memorandum of Understanding between the same department, the Dante Alighieri Society and the cultural association “Virtual Traces” Who organizes the prize? The aim of the project is to “engage prisoners through writing to express their feelings and thoughts about “before, during, after” the period of incarceration” and to involve civil society in awareness-raising events about the prison world.

Per John Russo, Head of Corrections Administration: “This is a further and significant step forward for those who have set themselves the goal of transforming the penal system in our country’s penal institutions.” Alessandro Masi, The Secretary General of the Dante Alighieri Society stated: “This is a project of great importance, an exploration of the depths of the feelings of people forced against their will to live in different conditions.” In this sense, the language experiences variations and Changes worth recording.”

E Antonio Vella, The organizer of the literary event added: “If, according to legislation, the period of imprisonment in prisons must serve primarily to prepare prisoners for the reintegration into society, the project goes precisely in this direction.” Even the mayor of Città di Castello, Luca Secondi, underlined the importance and prestige of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Rome: “The community-led institutions will continue to support with renewed enthusiasm and determination a cultural and social project that has established a leading role in the Panorama National.”