18/11/2016

Professor Carla Gràcia wins the Alghero Donna Literature and Journalism Prize

Our Professor from the Faculty of Communication Sciences who is also a writer, Carla Gràcia, was awarded the Alghero Donna Literature and Journalism Prize for her first novel "Siete días de Gràcia” published by the Grijalbo publishing house (in Spanish) and by Rosa dels Vents (in Catalan). 

The aim of the prize is to defend and promote the role of women in literature and culture in Italy and it is promoted by the Salpare-Edizione Nemapress Association. It also receives support from the Catalan Government Delegation in Italy, the City Council in Alguer and the Sardinian Guild of Rome.

The writer will collect her literary prize on 8 December in Rome, at the Più libri Più liberi fair.

"Siete días de Gràcia” is a historical novel about the revolt that took place in early April 1870, against the levies ordered by General Prim.

The revolt of the Quintas in 1870 took place in various cities in Spain such as Malaga, Bejar and Salamanca, though in Catalonia it was longer and bloodier.  The last bastion of resistance was located in what was then the village of Gràcia - now part of Barcelona- which was besieged by the cannons and troops shooting at them from Provença street and Passeig de Gràcia.

The novel reflects a popular legend according to which a woman without surnames or a past became the voice of the people and who, at the cruellest moment of the conflict, continued to ring the bells in the Clock Tower in the village to help keep the battle going.

Originally published in Catalan, the novel has been translated into Spanish (Grijalbo), Italian (Salani Editore) and Polish (Grupa Wydawnicza Foksal). The novel received a Llança award from Òmnium Cultural and also a Vila de Gràcia prize.