The Strega Prize, Italy's most prestigious literary award, which celebrates its 80th year this year, has announced the twelve finalists. Here are the authors and titles: Maria Attanasio, 'La Rosa Inversa'; Ermanno Cavazzoni, 'Storia di un’amicizia'; Teresa Ciabatti, 'Donnaregina'; Mauro Covacich, 'Lina e il sasso'; Michele Mari, 'I convitati di pietra'; Matteo Nucci, 'Platone. Una storia d’amore'; Alcide Pierantozzi, 'Lo sbilico'; Bianca Pitzorno, 'La sonnambula'; Christian Raimo, 'L’invenzione del colore'; Elena Rui, 'Vedove di Camus'; Nadeesha Uyangoda, 'Acqua sporca'; Marco Vichi, 'Occhi di bambina'. A total of 79 candidates are competing in the 80th edition, including 46 male and 33 female authors. The youngest is 20 years old, the oldest 94. Authors born in the 1950s and 1960s prevail, while those in their thirties and forties are fewer. Almost all large and medium-sized Italian publishing houses are represented; 44 small ones: established publishers that have already participated in the prize, joined by others entering for the first time. The most noticeable feature this year is the reappearance of the novel. The return of history and stories, as well as a reduction in autobiographical narratives, family memoirs, and/or autofiction, which had previously dominated recent editions. These are novels that can, with some distinctions, be defined as historical. Also notable is the return of work as a theme, a recurring current in Italian literature. The finalists will be announced on June 3 in Benevento, while the final ceremony will be broadcast live on Rai on July 8 at the Capitoline Hill.