Mariateresa Di Lascia: The Writer Who Defied Death Penalty

Mariateresa Di Lascia (1954–1994) was an Italian politician and writer whose posthumous novel 'Passaggio in ombra' won the Strega Prize in 1995, four months after her death from cancer at age 40. Born in Rocchetta Sant'Antonio, Foggia, to unmarried parents, she studied medicine at University of Naples before dropping out to join the Radical Party in 1975. She became vice-secretary in 1982 under Marco Pannella, led campaigns against hunger and nuclear power, and served as a deputy in the IX legislature. In 1993, she founded the international league against the death penalty 'Nessuno tocchi Caino' with her husband Sergio D'Elia. Her novel, a female family saga set in southern Italy, was rejected by Adelphi but published by Feltrinelli. She died on September 10, 1994, before its release. The book won the Strega on July 7, 1995, supported by writers like Antonio Tabucchi and Raffaele La Capria. Her tomb is in Fiuminata, and a video 'L'audacia e il silenzio' by Alessandro Galano is dedicated to her memory.