Marco Balzano wins the 2025 Historical Novel Award

With the book "Bambino" (Einaudi) he obtained 66 votes

Marco Balzano won the 2025 edition of the Alessandro Manzoni International Literary Prize - City of Lecco for the Historical Novel, organized by 50&Più Lecco. The final ceremony, with the counting of the votes of the 135 popular jurors, took place on the evening of Saturday, October 25, at the Don Ticozzi Hall on Via Ongania in Lecco. Marco Balzano's "Bambino" (Einaudi) received 66 votes, ahead of Erica Cassano's "La grande sete" (Garzanti), who received 52 votes, and Wanda Marasco's "Di spalle a questo mondo" (Neri Pozza), who received 17 votes.

The ballots counted by the 135 readers of the People's Jury were taken in the presence of notary Federica Croce. The jurors—who were asked to vote for one of the finalists selected by the Technical Jury, composed of President Ermanno Paccagnini and Sara Chiappori, Mattia Conti, Stefano Motta, and Mauro Novelli—were nominated by the Cattaneo, Libraccio, and Volante bookstores in Lecco, Cattaneo in Oggiono, Aquilario in Mandello, Perego Libri in Barzanò, and La Torre in Merate, and by the Reading Groups of 19 municipalities (Abbadia, Airuno, Barzago, Barzio, Bulciago, Cassago, Colle Brianza, Costa Masnaga, Esino Lario, Garlate, Lecco, Lomagna, Mandello, Olgiate Molgora, Oggiono, Sirone, Suello, Valmadrera, and Vercurago), with the support of the Lecco Library System. After greetings from Confcommercio Lecco President Antonio Peccati and Lecco Mayor Mauro Gattinoni, jury president Ermanno Paccagnini and 50&Più Lecco President Eugenio Milani spoke. Introduced by short videos produced by juror Mattia Conti, the authors engaged in a conversation on the stage in the Sala Ticozzi with juror Stefano Motta.

The Manzoni Historical Novel Award is organized by the 50&Più Lecco Association, in collaboration with Assocultura Confcommercio Lecco, the National Center for Manzonian Studies, and the Municipality of Lecco, with the support of Acinque (main sponsor) and the Como-Lecco Chamber of Commerce. The next event is scheduled for November 28th at 9:00 pm at the Casa dell'Economia on Via Tonale, when the 2025 Manzoni Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Elisabetta Sgarbi.