SECOND ITALIAN LANGUAGE FICTION COMPETITION WITH THE THEME:

ROOTS AND BRANCHES

SUBJECT OF THE COMPETITION:

A journey into memory to discover one's roots to understand who one is, where one comes from, where one wants to go. One cannot live and prosper without an identity, without cultural roots.

Giovanni Guareschi said: “And if the future of the tree and its progress are upwards, are above the earth, the roots are under the earth. And this means that the future is fed by the past. Woe to those who do not cultivate the memory of the past: they are people who sow not on the earth but on cement”. It is nice to think of the family as a tree that grows from the earth and has the same vital characteristics. In the family soil each of us founds himself and takes root there. Our roots are a living body. Sometimes it is enough to open a drawer to discover old letters written in an old-fashioned handwriting and photographs, to find one's own sense and meaning in the family history. Even a visit to an Ethnographic Museum, or to the places where our ancestors built our country, is certainly a reason to stimulate reflection and rediscover important traditions.

EXPIRATION: 7 June 2025

SECTIONS: Only one themed section is foreseen: “Roots and branches”, with a text, published or unpublished, of max 50 lines as per the attached template.

AWARDS:

• The first place winner will receive a clay tile by the Comacine artist Prof. Bruno Gandola (which will then be walled up on a wall in the courtyard of the Ethnographic Museum of Casasco Intelvi as a lasting memory, thus allowing the creation of a “Corner of Emotions”); a personalized plaque and a basket of typical local products.
• The second place winner will receive a personalized plaque and a basket of typical local products.
• A personalized plaque will be awarded to the third place winner.
• The fourth and fifth place winners will receive a medal and a local history book.
• The first five classified will receive a certificate of participation on parchment paper.

RULES FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION

• Participation in the competition is free.
• You can participate in the competition with a narrative literary text, published or unpublished, of max 50 lines as per the attached template.
• To participate in the competition, authorization to process personal data is required. The data of the competitors will be used exclusively for the competition.
• The authors remain in full possession of the rights relating to the texts with which they intend to participate in the competition. Furthermore, they agree to grant the text presented free of charge without claiming the rights to any reproduction and public diffusion of the same.
• Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of all parts of this regulation.

Deadline and submission of worksThe texts must be sent by 7 June 2025 and no later than, by sending an email to the following address: museo.casascointelvi@gmail.com

Selection of the winning works and award ceremony

The jury, composed of academics and writers, whose names will be announced during the Award Ceremony, will have the task of selecting five finalists and an overall winner. The names of the winners will be announced in writing by the President of the Museum and on the Museum website.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday July 19, 2025 at the headquarters of the Ethnographic Museum of Peasant Civilization, Arts and Crafts, in the village of Casasco Intelvi, in Piazza Vittorio Veneto 1, at 3:00 pm, or at the nearby Civic Hall of the Municipality of Casasco (communication on the matter will follow).

The prizes must be collected by the authors concerned (in exceptional cases by a person designated and previously authorised by the winner) on the same day as the awards ceremony.

During the awards ceremony, a documentary about the Intelvi Valley will be screened.

President of the Jury: the writer and poet Rosa Maria Corti.

For more information:

Cell. no. 320 3612970/335 5360417 – Email: museo.casascointelvi@gmail.com