Marilena Renda's 'Cinema Persefone' Shortlisted for Strega Poetry Prize

Marilena Renda's poetry collection 'Cinema Persefone' (Arcipelago Itaca, 2024) has been shortlisted for the 2025 Strega Poetry Prize. The book reimagines the myth of Persephone, blending ancient themes with contemporary reality. Renda, born in Erice in 1976 and based in Bologna where she teaches English, describes her Persephone as retaining mystery and opacity, subject to decisions by mother and husband yet given 'crazy things' to do. The collection, written after the pandemic, creates a claustrophobic and absurd atmosphere through a tension of opposites—life and death, human and divine. Renda's previous works include 'Fuoco degli occhi' (Aragno, 2022), finalist for the Fortini and Napoli prizes in 2023, and 'La sottrazione' (Transeuropa, 2015), winner of the Bologna in Lettere prize in 2019. She has also been a finalist for the Delfini (2009) and Carducci (2013) prizes for her poem 'Ruggine'. In the interview, Renda discusses the importance of not fully understanding poetry, allowing readers to return to the text. She expresses ambivalence about prizes, balancing a desire to be read with a wish to hide, as described by her friend Carmen Gallo.