ADEI WIZO Adelina Della Pergola Literary Award – 26th Edition

Two very different works, yet both capable of narrating the present and memory, are the winners of the 26th ADEI WIZO Adelina Della Pergola Literary Prize: The Hostage by Eli Sharabi (Newton Compton) and, for the Children’s Section, The Meyer Cousins ​​by Vittorio Giardino (Rizzoli Lizard). The titles were chosen by two juries: over 500 female readers from across Italy for the main section and high school students for the youth section.
This edition stands out for the variety and depth of the selected works, which span eras, languages, and genres—including, for the first time, the graphic novel—addressing themes such as the memory of the Holocaust, contemporary events related to the Middle East, and the dynamics of Jewish identity. Literature thus confirms itself as a fundamental tool for knowledge, empathy, and civic reflection.
The closing ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Ferrara, in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall. A meeting between authors and students will take place at 3:00 PM, while the awards ceremony, open to the public, will take place at 5:00 PM.
Among the winners, “The Hostage” stands out as a direct and powerful testimony of the experience of captivity after the events of October 7, 2023, while “The Meyer Cousins” uses the language of a graphic novel to tell a story set in the Europe of the Anschluss, powerfully conveying the climate of persecution and fear.
Established in 2000, the Prize recognizes works of fiction on Jewish themes published in Italy, confirming its position as an important cultural and civic event.