(11 July 2017) The Flaiano Awards is one of the most anticipated summer events in Italian and international culture. The 44th edition of the event, which took place in Pescara from June 28 to July 9, saw among the protagonists the Italian scholar, Alice Flemrova. Professor Flemrova, received the special 2017 Flaiano Italian Studies Award on Sunday evening in Pescara, at the end of the event named after the renowned journalist and writer, Ennio Flaiano. Flemrova has curated a critical reissue of a wide selection of texts by Pirandello published in 2016 in light of the 150th anniversary of Luigi Pirandello's birth. The award was given to Professor Flemrova form the Charles IV University of Prague for her commitment not only in telling the life, and above all, the work of Pirandello; but also for contributing to giving more room in theatres for his works, making him known more well-known throughout the Czech general public. Alice Femrova commented on stage, "the work of the Italian translator is a solitary job, but it is also a responsibility in returning the spirit of a fascinating culture like the Italian one. It is satisfying when young people approach this language and love it." The award-winning collection contains ten theatrical works and represents a critical unpublished edition, as well as editorial philology. The only Czech selection of Pirandello's theatrical texts goes back to 1967 (Pět her a aktovka - Five theatres and one act). That volume was flagged to the organisers of the prize by the Italian Institute of Culture in Prague as one of the most important initiatives in distributing of Italian literature in the Czech Republic. As the director of the Italian Institute of Culture of Prague, Giovanni Sciola, "the merit of this publication has been to focus on a reflection on the main Pirandellian themes. In a country of great cultural sensibility that, like the Czech Republic, has a deeply rooted tradition and attention to theatrical language, this is a refined and high-quality operation that transcends the editorial project itself". (Red)

THE AWARD-WINNERS

The Flaiano Prize, established thanks to Edoardo Tiboni, who from some editions passed on the torch to daughter Carla and vice president Dante Marianacci, this year awarded
director Gianni Amelio, writer Simonetta Agnello Hornby,
Giancarlo De Cataldo and Roberto Jannone as screenwriters, the television broadcaster Alberto Angela, and journalist Beppe Severgnini.