Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Over the years, the Malaparte Prize, the prestigious award given annually in Capri to an international writer, has almost always gone to novelists. Some of them—for example, Nadine Gordimer and Richard Ford—also wrote short stories, but the primary measure of all has always been the novel.
It is therefore in some ways a first for this year's winner, Samanta Schweblin – an Argentine author who has long lived in Europe, in Berlin – known above all for her short stories.
The winner was announced today by the award's curator, Gabriella Buontempo, along with the entire jury, composed of Leonardo Colombati, Giordano Bruno Guerri, Giuseppe Merlino, Silvio Perrella, Emanuele Trevi, and Marina Valensise.
As usual, the award ceremony, supported by the Campania Region, the Ferrarelle ETS Foundation, and Ferrarelle Società Benefit, will take place on the island of Capri during the first weekend of October, between Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th. Samanta Schweblin's latest title is "Il buon male," published in Italy by Einaudi.
It is a collection of short stories, the fourth by the author, who also has two novels to her credit.
"Let's remember that I'm Argentinean, I come from a tradition of great short story writers. Think, for example, of Borges, Cortázar, Silvina Ocampo. I also write novels, but because I wasn't good enough and I needed 250 pages for something I could have told in 20," the writer recently stated in an interview. And certainly, her ability to summarize was a key factor in the decision to award her the prize. But, beyond brevity, the jury was won over by the themes Schweblin explores throughout her books, riddled with fears, anxieties, and worries that keep the reader in a state of perpetual unease. This is the true common denominator of the stories: a constant flow of misunderstandings and unease that sometimes lead to suicide and constitute an uninterrupted journey through human frailties. a journey into the unknown that never claims to explain, but only to convey the feeling of turmoil and precariousness of the human soul.
In Capri, Samanta Schweblin will take on the usual commitments of the award weekend. On Saturday afternoon, October 3rd, after a press lunch, she met with the writers on the Malaparte jury in a public discussion. As per tradition, the official awards ceremony will take place the following day, Sunday, October 4th, at 11:00 a.m., at the Certosa di San Giacomo, where Giuseppe Merlino will read the jury's motivation and the winner will deliver her acceptance speech.
Samanta Schweblin is the second consecutive winner who writes in Spanish, following Fernando Aramburu, who was awarded in 2025. Seven English-language winners preceded them: Americans Richard Ford, Daniel Mendelsohn, Elizabeth Strout, Donna Tartt, Chilean Benjamin Labatut (who writes primarily in English), Englishman Julian Barnes, and Irishman Colm Tóibín. Three French-language winners: Yasmina Reza (2021) and Amin Maalouf (2020), as well as Emmanuel Carrère, who was the first winner in 2012, when the prize was revived by Gabriella Buontempo. Two authors wrote in other languages: Danish author Karl Ove Knausgård and Korean author Han Kang. Other authors of great talent, such as Saul Bellow, John Le Carrè or Nadine Gordimer, won it in the 1980s and 1990s (the complete list is in the attached list).
The Malaparte Prize thus confirms its position as one of the most important and diverse Italian literary awards for international figures. This is thanks to its guiding light, Gabriella Buontempo, who 15 years ago revived a family tradition, founded by her aunt, Graziella Lonardi Buontempo. "There are several reasons to be pleased with this year's choice," states Gabriella Buontempo. "There's a gender theme, which is obviously very close to my heart: since the prize's reinstatement, this is the sixth time it's been awarded to a female writer. This attention to female authors is a credit to the jury. Furthermore, Samanta Schweblin, not yet fifty, is one of the youngest recipients since the Malaparte Prize was established. This ability to identify talent before it's even established seems to me to be a positive characteristic of the Prize."
This year, Gabriella Buontempo is joined by two important sponsors: the Campania Region, which has included the initiative among its supported initiatives for the first time, and Ferrarelle SpA, the main sponsor, which has enthusiastically supported the project of bringing the award back to Capri since 2013. "Reading is never a solitary act," says Onofrio Cutaia, Councilor for Culture for the Campania Region, "but a fundamental civic infrastructure, a powerful tool for personal and collective growth. Leafing through the pages of a book trains one's imaginative capacity and forges an alert critical spirit. It is on this foundation that the development and emancipation of individuals and communities are built. From this perspective, an internationally prestigious award like the Malaparte Prize does not simply celebrate literary excellence, but also acts as a vehicle for cultural promotion. Thanks to a rigorous selection of narrative quality, the prize becomes an amplifier of meaning, capable of guiding readers and elevating public debate. It is precisely because of this transformative value and its intrinsic educational power that the Campania Region has enthusiastically supported this year's edition."
For their part, Ferrarelle Società Benefit and the Ferrarelle ETS Foundation renew their support for the Malaparte Prize, a 15-year collaboration that expresses a shared commitment to promoting culture as a space for knowledge, discussion, and dialogue. "We live in an age that pushes us to rapidly consume information, images, and stories. Literature demands something different: to pause, give time to words, and through them, connect with experiences, cultures, and sensibilities far removed from our own," comments Michele Pontecorvo Ricciardi, President of the Ferrarelle ETS Foundation and President of FAI Campania.
"I believe the Malaparte Prize embodies precisely this value: creating a space for listening and discussion, bringing some of the most significant voices in international literature to Capri each year. It is with this conviction that the Ferrarelle Ets Foundation supports the Prize and that the Fai Campania recognizes its value through its patronage: because dedicating time to culture means continuing to foster knowledge, curiosity, and dialogue." This year, the Malaparte days on Capri will also include the presentation of Myrta Merlino's latest book, "La bambina del miracolo," scheduled for Saturday the 3rd at the Cerio Foundation with Prize juror Emanuele Trevi.
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