“Unfortunately this too is a painful year, still distant from reality. – Beatrice Monti della Corte declares – But the Premio Gregor von Rezzori – Città di Firenze continues with vigor. In our long-list, and therefore in our short-list too, you will observe that the writers chosen by us come from diverse cultures and languages. They have quality and passion for literature in common. We continue to believe that reading good books can a new dimension to our lives, allowing us to overcome the barriers around us.”

The finalists would have gathered in Florence between the 3^rd and 5^th of June for a series of meetings with readers and their translators, at the end of which the winner of the Premio Gregor von Rezzori – Città di Firenze would have been declared.

Unfortunately that is still not possible this year and the Premio will take place partially online and partially in person, a way to reaffirm once again the value of literature.

The festival will open with the Lectio Magistralis by Jenny Erpenbeck at the Cenacolo dell’Opera di Santa Croce.

It will also be possible to follow the festival on the website www.cinemalacompagnia.it, Più Compagnia, the new virtual venue of Cinema la Compagnia, Tuscany’s home of cinema, and on the Youtube channel of the Comune di Firenze.

The Premio Gregor von Rezzori, reserved for foreign writers translated into Italian, is an international literature festival which promotes the encounter between notable contemporary authors, translators and the Italian public. It was founded in 2007 to honor Gregor von Rezzori, author of novels and memoirs, and it is organized by The Santa Maddalena Foundation, established in 2000 by Beatrice Monti della Corte, which hosts writers from all around the world as a literary residence.