When nature and reading go hand in hand
The winners of the 2026 Venice Gardens Foundation ‘Natura’ Literary Prize for Young Readers and Adults have been announced in Venice
Far removed from the complexities of adult life, children offer us that fresh perspective of those who have yet to discover nature, who must walk a part of the journey with us to continue living in this world. Perhaps it is precisely in this simplicity, in children’s direct and unfiltered gaze, that the truest meaning of the Natura Giovani Lettori Literary Prize, established by the Venice Gardens Foundation, lies; once again this year, the prize has brought together books, authors, illustrators and publishers on the spectacular stage of the Orto Giardino at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on the Giudecca, in Venice.
Here, nature is ever-present; it grows, changes, fills the space and dictates its own rhythms. The Capuchin Friars Minor of the monastery have entrusted this peaceful green haven overlooking the lagoon to the care of the Venice Gardens Foundation, sharing the belief that tending a garden can become a powerful cultural act, a tangible way of restoring harmony between spirit and nature, in keeping with Franciscan teachings.
The jury was assisted in selecting the winners of the Young Readers’ Literary Prize by a School Committee made up of pupils from a number of primary schools, whilst the Adult Literary Prize was supported by a Committee of Independent Bookshops set up by the Venice Gardens Foundation itself.
Among the award-winning books, a double honour went to “Gertrude. The Art of Creating a Garden’ by the Spanish author Ángela León, published by Topipittori, which is dedicated to the life of Gertrude Jekyll, the pioneer of modern gardening and creator of the ‘English garden’. The book – which won an award in the “Vegetable Gardens and Gardens” category – also received the “Publishing House” Special Prize.
Alongside the 21 original illustrations drawn by Ángela León for the book, the Venice Gardens Foundation has organised a small exhibition in one of the Orto’s exhibition rooms, which will remain open until September 2027 and draws visitors into the world of beauty that Gertrude Jekyll was able to create, creating over 400 gardens across Europe and the United States, transformed into forms of living art.
