Announcement of the finalists for the Magis BANCOMAT Prize for Italian fiction.

Finalists Announced for the Premio Magis BANCOMAT for Italian Literature. Telling Stories About the World, Making It a Better Place

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The press conference held today, 11 November, at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan featured Antonio Spadaro, Franco Dalla Sega, Annamaria Malato and Sebastiano Nata.

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Milan, 11 November 2026 – In the evocative setting of the Sala Federiciana at Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the five finalists of the Premio Magis BANCOMAT Letteratura and the three finalists of the Premio Magis BANCOMAT Esordienti were announced for the second edition of the awards. Established by Fondazione 153, with BANCOMAT as main partner and the support of Fondazione Silvano Toti, the Prize aims to celebrate Italian literature while also promoting charitable initiatives. It is divided into two categories: the Premio Magis BANCOMAT Letteratura, dedicated to established authors, and the Premio Magis BANCOMAT Esordienti, dedicated to debut authors.

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The finalists in the two categories are listed below in alphabetical order:

Premio Magis BANCOMAT Letteratura

Ermanno Cavazzoni, Storia di un’amicizia, Quodlibet

Mauro Covacich, Lina e il sasso, La Nave di Teseo

Francesco Pecoraro, La fine del mondo, Ponte alle Grazie

Veronica Raimo, Non scrivere di me, Einaudi

Carola Susani, Il dio delle genti, Minimum fax

Premio Magis BANCOMAT Esordienti

Baldissera Di Mauro, Ugo, Elliot Edizioni

Giulio Silvano, Hanno vinto loro, Frassinelli

Sarvish Waheed, La nebbia di Rio, Accento Edizioni

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“The books shortlisted for the 2026 edition have something in common: they explore how necessary, yet difficult, it is to love ourselves and others. This is what the Gospel teaches us, and it is what defines us as human beings, whether believers or non-believers. Through the stories it helps bring to a wider audience and the tangible acts of solidarity it supports, our Prize makes its own small contribution to this centuries-old tradition,” says Sebastiano Nata, writer and executive at Fondazione 153.

The jury is chaired by Marco Lodoli and brings together distinguished writers, literary critics and leading figures from the cultural world: Giulia Caminito, Andrea Carraro, Carlo D’Amicis, Mario Desiati, Donatella Di Cesare, Angelo Ferracuti, Maria Ida Gaeta, Filippo La Porta, Carlo Lucarelli, Annamaria Malato, Sebastiano Nata, Valeria Parrella, Sandra Petrignani, Roberto Saviano, Gianluigi Simonetti, Antonio Spadaro, Elena Stancanelli, Emanuele Trevi and Sandro Veronesi.

The jury will select the winners, who will be announced during Più Libri Più Liberi (Rome's Small and Medium Publishers Book Fair) on Tuesday, 8 December, at 6:00 p.m. in the Sala Cometa. The event will be livestreamed on the fair's social media channels (Facebook and Instagram).

“The Prize combines the power of storytelling with tangible acts of solidarity, celebrating literature that can leave a lasting mark and become a driver of change. This is why I am particularly pleased that the winners will once again be announced during Più Libri Più Liberi, an event that has always promoted reading and culture as instruments of individual and collective growth,” says Annamaria Malato, President of Più Libri Più Liberi.

The Premio Magis BANCOMAT will allocate €300,000 to humanitarian organisations preselected by BANCOMAT and Fondazione 153.

“An organisation so deeply rooted in the everyday lives of Italians has a responsibility to provide a platform for cultural expression. Promoting culture and supporting charitable initiatives are part of a broader vision that goes beyond our role in the payments industry and places our connection with people at its heart. The Premio Magis BANCOMAT embodies this commitment by recognising literary talent and supporting initiatives capable of generating an extraordinary impact on society. We are once again proud to support this project,” says Franco Dalla Sega, Chairman of BANCOMAT.

The winners of the two categories will have the opportunity to help determine how the funds allocated to charitable initiatives will be distributed, offering a unique opportunity to celebrate creativity while supporting humanitarian projects.

The winner of the Premio Magis BANCOMAT Letteratura will receive a €10,000 cash prize and will also help decide how to allocate the €180,000 earmarked for AVSI, Busajo, Caritas, Progetto Rwanda and Save The Children. Each humanitarian organisation will receive €30,000, while the selected organisation will be awarded an additional €30,000.

The winner of the Premio Magis BANCOMAT Esordienti will receive a €4,000 cash prize and will also have the opportunity to help determine how to distribute €120,000 among three preselected Banco Alimentare projects. Each project will receive €30,000, while the selected project will be awarded an additional €30,000.

“Writing and reading are already forms of attentiveness, and attentiveness is the foundation of solidarity: writers step outside themselves to give voice to lives other than their own, while readers allow those lives to find a place within them. This is why the Premio Magis BANCOMAT asks that the literary act extend into an act of care for others. The same imagination that opens up possibilities where there seem to be only walls also enables us to see those who usually remain invisible,” concludes Antonio Spadaro, Jesuit priest, journalist and theologian.

For further information and the official rules, please visit www.premiomagisbancomat.it.