Italian poetry awards celebrate Maria Grazia Calandrone and Acqui Terme finalists

Italy is hosting several significant poetry awards. In Civitaquana, the second edition of the National “CivitaquanaPoesia” award was held on August 30, 2026. Organized by the Fondazione Pescarabruzzo in collaboration with the Municipality of Civitaquana, the event is part of the “Civitaquana Borgo della Poesia” project aimed at promoting the cultural heritage of the Abruzzo hinterland.

Maria Grazia Calandrone received the 2026 Career Award, and a special recognition was granted to Lamberto Pignotti for his 100th anniversary. The initiative includes the creation of the “Viale dei Poeti,” a permanent poetic path, and the future establishment of a Poetry Library.

Meanwhile, the 18th “Città di Acqui Terme” International Poetry Prize has announced its finalists. The festival program begins on September 2 with a conference on memory, followed by a gala on September 5 to proclaim winners in remaining categories. Notable winners already include Silvia Caratti for the published book section and Laura Crippa for the debut work section.