Cuori Narranti, Manuel Di Caterino wins with a novel about the sea
Manuel Di Caterino, with the novel Diario di un capitano (Diary of a Captain), is the winner of Cuori narranti (Narrating Hearts), a literary competition promoted by the Lazio Region for young writers under 35. The award ceremony took place at the Turin International Book Fair: four of the five finalists chosen by the Jury were present. Surprisingly, the novel of the only absentee, who was nevertheless connected via streaming, won. Manuel Di Caterino, born in Sezze, in the province of Latina, in 1998, writes out of the conviction that 'the world will never be full of words'. Already a finalist in several literary and poetry competitions, he cultivates writing as a space for research, imagination and memory, distinguishing himself with a mature and aware narrative voice.
The winning novel recounts, in the first person, the life of a 16th century Spanish boy who cultivates a single, stubborn dream: to command a ship of his own. The son of a humble carter who trades between the village and the port, he grows up amid hardships and privations, developing a deep bond with the sea. The story traces his formative years, marked by trials, losses and inner conflicts that shape his character, until the final glimpse of a man at the end of his days, called to come to terms with the memory of an entire existence marked by the sea.
"With Cuori narranti we continue to invest in the new generations, recognising in writing an essential tool of expression and creative freedom. The competition shows how talent and narrative sensitivity are widespread among young people in Lazio. The award ceremony at the Turin International Book Fair strengthens the link between cultural policies and concrete opportunities, offering visibility and enhancing the value of writing as a cultural and educational engine,' stated the councillor for Culture, Equal Opportunities, Youth and Family Policies, and Civil Service, Simona Baldassarre.
The jury, chaired by Davide Rondoni, was composed of Leonardo Colombati, Luigi Mascheroni, Maria Antonietta Spadorcia, Stefano Salis, Greta Mauro, Fabio Del Giudice and Guglielmo Sepe.
The finalists will now also be presented at other cultural events, starting with the Frankfurt Book Fair, and have already found their way to publication thanks to Amazon Italia.
