Carmen Gallo wins the Strega Poetry Prize with a voice that crosses myth
Einaudi’s Procne Machine wins the fourth edition of the prize at the 13 October final in Rome.
The verdict comes from Rome’s Casa dell’Architettura: Carmen Gallo has won the 2026 Strega Poetry Prize with Procne Machine, published by Einaudi. ANSA and Sky TG24 report the result of the 13 October final: 33 preferences out of 83 votes cast.
The book’s writing brings together myth, fear and the possibility of recovering a voice. The prize’s official book page highlights flight and its opposite, presenting the collection as a poetic exploration of vulnerability. Rather than treating classical material as a refuge, the work questions it from the present. The award gives readers an opportunity to approach a collection already selected for the shortlist and discover a distinctive path within contemporary Italian poetry.