Paola Barbato awarded Romics d’Oro at Rome comic fair

Italian writer and screenwriter Paola Barbato was honoured with the Romics d’Oro award during the 37th edition of the Romics comic fair, held from 1 to 4 October 2026 at the Fiera Roma. Born in Milan in 1971, adopted in Brescia and now residing in Verona, Barbato has written the Dylan Dog series for Sergio Bonelli Editore since 1999 and contributed to numerous other comic projects, novels, children’s books and television scripts. Her novels have earned prizes such as the Scerbanenco award, and "Mani nude" was adapted into a feature film. At the fair she will meet the public and review her career spanning comics, thriller literature, youth fiction, cinema and theatre.

The ceremony highlights Barbato’s versatile storytelling, noted for blending narrative tension with psychological depth, and underscores her prominent role in contemporary Italian popular culture.