The Italian translation of Hisham Matar’s novel (In the Country of Men) won the (Premio Vallombrosa – Gregor von Rezzori) prize in Italy. The prize the second for the Hisham this year after winning the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize in Britain, is awarded annually for the best new work of international fiction published in Italy, and supported by Provincia di Firenze (the Province of Florence). Hisham received €15,000 and a Fellowship at the Santa Maddalena Foundation, which is a writers’ retreat, in the Valdarno near Florence, and was established by Beatrice Monti della Corte in their house, in memory of her husband, the writer Gregor von Rezzori, which the prize is named after him.

The shorlist included the following novels:

* Measuring the World – Daniel Kehlmann (Feltrinelli)
* In the Country of Men – Hisham Matar (Einaudi)
* Special Topics in Calamity Physic – Marisha Pessl (Bompiani)
* On Beauty – Zadie Smith (Mondadori)

Mabrouk to Hisham, and we are all looking forward to read his new work.