Call For Entries XIII Edition – Premio città di Como
Call For Entries – Thirteenth Edition
Premio Città di Como
Summary
The Premio Città di Como, now in its 13th edition, is one of the major Italian literary competitions, open to published works, unpublished works, and multimedia projects.
DEADLINE FOR THE THIRTEENTH EDITION: 30 JUNE 2026
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY: €30,000
The Premio Città di Como guarantees complete impartiality in its evaluations.
At the end of the competition, all entrants’ names will be published, and an appropriate period will be granted to report and correct any omissions or typographical errors.
To facilitate the work of the Jury and the Reading Committee, participants are strongly encouraged to submit their works well in advance of the deadline. Submission by registered mail is to be avoided.
Published Works
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
Unpublished Works
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
Multimedia Section
Autobiographical Work
Themed Work
Work In Italian From Abroad
First Work
Journalism
Handling of Submitted Works
At the end of the competition, submitted materials will not be returned.
Published works may be donated to libraries in the Insubria region.
Unpublished works will be destroyed to protect copyright.
The Award Ceremony will take place in November 2026 in Como, in a prestigious venue, and will be open to the public with free admission.
The names of all participants—and subsequently those selected, finalists, and winners—will be published on the official website. No further communication is provided to all entrants.
Evaluation Reports
Participants may request an evaluation report by attaching the appropriate form to the entry application.
The report highlights strengths and potential weaknesses in writing style, content, and plot, and includes suggestions for possible editing and an assessment of the work’s potential.
Upon request, the report may be accompanied by a conversation with the editor who prepared it for Associazione Eleutheria.
The report may include suggestions intended to improve the work; these should be understood as the subjective opinion of the evaluator.
Cost of the service:
- €90 (VAT included) + entry fee
- €130 (VAT included) + entry fee for texts exceeding 60,000 words
Reports will be sent by email no later than the start of the next edition.
They are prepared by editors and communication professionals already working with the Prize.
Participants must complete registration by the deadline.
Entrants are strongly advised not to wait until the final days to submit their work.
After the deadline, the Secretariat will remain available for 15 days to address reports of omissions, errors, or similar issues. Beyond this period, no further requests regarding the submitted works will be considered.
A brief synopsis of each work and a very short biography of the author are required.
BY SUBMITTING AN ENTRY FORM, CONTESTANTS ACCEPT ALL CONDITIONS OF THIS CALL FOR ENTRIES AND GUARANTEE THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SUBMITTED WORK.
CATEGORIES AND PRIZES
PUBLISHED WORKS
Published Poetry Volume
- 1st Prize: €3,000
- 2nd Prize: €1,000
- 3rd Prize: €500
Published Fiction Volume
- 1st Prize: €3,000
Special Prizes for two or more genres selected by the Jury: €1,500
Published Children’s or YA Book
- 1st Prize (fiction or nonfiction): €3,000
Published Nonfiction Volume
- 1st Prize: €3,000
Special Prizes for two or more genres selected by the Jury: €1,500
MULTIMEDIA SECTION
- 1st Prize: €3,000
UNPUBLISHED WORKS
The winning unpublished prose text—whether a novel or a story collection—may be published by Mursia (Milan).
If publication is deemed unsuitable, a cash prize may be awarded instead.
Other Unpublished Works
(Nonfiction, aphorisms, plays, screenplays, fairy tales, children’s works, novels or story collections, autobiographies)
One prize of €1,000, for a genre chosen by the Jury.
Unpublished Poetry
- 1st Prize: €1,000
Single Short Story (published or unpublished)
- 1st Prize: €1,000
Best short piece featuring Lake Como or any lake (in a geographical or symbolic sense) as the protagonist: €500
Theses in specific fields (cultural mediation, cultural heritage and tourism, landscape studies, scientific topics): €500
FIRST WORK
- 1st Prize: €1,000
WORK IN ITALIAN FROM ABROAD (PUBLISHED OR UNPUBLISHED)
- 1st Prize: €1,000
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORK
- 1st Prize: €1,000
THEMED WORK
- 1st Prize: €1,000
JOURNALISM AWARD
- 1st Prize: €1,000
THE JURY’S DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND NOT SUBJECT TO APPEAL.
