Teramo Prize 2026, the long history of the short story is renewed

The 2026 edition of one of the oldest and most prestigious literary competitions in Italy kicks off, adapting to the challenges of the present without forgetting its origins. Promoted by the municipal administration of Teramo and supported by the Tercas Foundation, the 47th edition introduces important innovations, including a section dedicated to published collections of stories and a greater investment by the Municipality.

The story

Born in 1959 from the intellectual vivacity of a group of university students led by the poet, journalist and deputy secretary of the Accademia dei Lincei Giammario Sgattoni, the Prize immediately had the support of an authoritative Promotion Committee, animated by institutional and citizen personalities. After a first season (1959-1978) and a setback until 1986, Teramo experienced decades of stability and continuity. Among the writers who have participated over the years, Edith Bruck, Andrea Zanzotto, Piero Chiara, Alberto Bevilacqua, Raffaele Nigro, Maria Luisa Spaziani, Giovanni Raboni, Ferdinando Camon and many others.

Jury

As always, the Teramo Prize will benefit from an authoritative jury, chaired by the poet and novelist Maria Grazia Calandrone, finalist for the Strega Prize in 2023. Loredana Lipperini, Elena Polidori, Massimo Fusillo and Simone Gambacorta will help her select the most deserving works as jurors.

The regulation

Unlike past editions, this year there are only two sections. ‘Teramo Prize for an unpublished story’, which awards the winner 5,000.00 euros, represents a return to the most authentic essence of the competition, rewarding the quality of short writing. ‘Teramo Mario Pomilio Award for a published collection of short stories’, which offers 3,000.00 euros, represents the main novelty of the 2026 edition and marks a significant opening to the world of publishing and to the great protagonists of national culture. Never published works that do not exceed 30,000 characters will be able to compete for the Teramo Prize for an unpublished story. The Mario Pomilio section is open to all collections of short stories published in the 12 months preceding the publication of the announcement. Nominations must reach the Prize Secretariat by 25 September 2026. The awards ceremony will take place in December 2026 and will be preceded by the Three steps into literature initiative, a series of meetings aimed at promoting the Prize throughout the year.

The voices

For the new artistic director of the Prize, Silvio Araclio, the challenge was to renew the Teramo by bringing it back to its initial vocation: “Dedicating the Prize to the unpublished has always offered well-known and lesser-known writers, enthusiasts and amateurs the opportunity to take their stories out of the drawer, while the novelty of the second Prize is a real stimulus to a publishing industry that in recent years has paid little attention to collections of short stories.” “The Award belongs to the cultural and identity heritage of our city and over time it has demonstrated its strength and ability to gain visibility even beyond local borders: the decision to start a renewal responds to the need to make it grow”, said Mayor Gianguido D’Alberto.

“The renewed identity of the Award does not represent a mere organizational change, but a cultural choice, aimed at making it increasingly a living space capable of intercepting the transformations of the contemporary story”, commented the Councilor for Culture Stefania Di Padova. The complete announcement, the methods of participation and all the information are available on the official website of the Teramo Prize and on that of the Municipality of Teramo.