Adrian Grima’s collection of poems translated into Italian by Virginia Monteforte with support from the National Book Council (Malta) and published by Edizioni Mesogea Culture Mediterranee, Che farai al termine della notte? (2024), is among the eleven finalists of the fourth edition of the prize for books of poetry published between 2017 and 2024. 175 books of poetry were submitted for this prize.
The prize is awarded by the town of Duino Aurisina in Trieste and named after Rainer Maria Rilke (IV Premio Internazionale “Rainer Maria Rilke” Duino Aurisina 2024).
Dr Virginia Monteforte greeted the nomination with this comment:
“Tradurre poesia è complicatissimo, e meraviglioso. Tradurre un amico e vedere il libro finire tra i finalisti di un premio prestigioso è, se possibile, ancora più straordinario.”
“Translating poetry is incredibly complicated, and wonderful. Translating a friend and seeing the book end up among the finalists of a prestigious award is, if possible, even more extraordinary.”
This collection of poems was originally published by Klabb Kotba Maltin as Klin u Kapriċċi Oħra (2015). It has appeared in English, translated by Albert Gatt and published by Midsea in Malta and Paperwall Publishing in Mumbai (Last-ditch Ecstasy), and translated into French by Elizabeth Grech and published by APIC in Algiers (Romarin et autres caprices). Both translations were supported by national literary translation funds in Malta. Earlier this year it was published in Spanish in Honduras by Editorial Efímera with translations by Antoine Cassar (Romero y otros caprichos). All translations were done from the original in Maltese.
The distinguished members of the jury are Sergia ADAMO (Università degli Studi di Trieste), Elisa DONZELLI (Scuola Normale Superiore), Elisabeth FALLER (Scrittori Carinziani – Austria), Christian SINICCO (poet and trade unionist), Tatjana ROJC (writer, literary critic and senator), and Mary Barbara TOLUSSO (poet and novelist).
The book was submitted for the prize by Edizioni Mesogea Culture Mediterranee soon after it was published in May 2024.
The award giving ceremony will be held at the Castle of Duino (Castello di Duino, Trieste) in November 2024. This is where one hundred years ago, the Prague poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote his Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien). The winner of the prize in 2023 was Michele Obit with his collection La balena e le foglie (qudulibri).
This is the full list of finalists:
- Gian Maria Annovi, Discomparse (Nino Aragno Editore 2023)
- Francesco Deotto, Avventure e disavventure di una casa gialla (L’Arcolaio 2023)
- Éric Desordre, Il fuoco del gorilla (Edizioni Joker 2024)
- Anna Maria Farabbi, ninnanannna talamimamma (Kaba edizioni – pièdimosca edizioni 2023)
- Adrian Grima, Che farai al termine della notte (Mesogea 2024)
- Stefano Lorefice, Passeggeri solitari (Edizioni La Gru 2023)
- Luca Mozzachiodi, Tempo Stellare (Bertoni Editore 2024)
- Daniele Orso, Sommereise (Industria e Letteratura 2024)
- Francesco Sassetto, Discanto (Arcipelago itaca Edizioni 2023)
- Alberto Toni, Tempo d’Opera (Il ramo e la foglia edizioni 2022)
- Claudia Zironi, La camera era rossa (Industria e Letteratura 2024)
This was the call for submissions:
The “Rainer Maria Rilke” International Prize, Duino Aurisina
Rainer Maria Rilke (Prague, 4 December 1875 – Les Planches, 29 December 1926), was an Austrian writer, poet and playwright of Bohemian origin. He is considered one of the most important German-language poets of the 20th century. Author of both prose and poetry, he is most famous for the Duino Elegies (begun during a stay in Duino).
Founded in 2021, the International Prize “RAINER MARIA RILKE” Duino Aurisina provides for the participation in the competition of poetry works in all languages, including those of ethnolinguistic minorities and local dialects, as long as they are accompanied by a translation into Italian, and also promotes the work of translators and the publication of poetry works in German unpublished in Italy.
Premio Internazionale “Rainer Maria Rilke” Duino Aurisina
Rainer Maria Rilke (Praga, 4 dicembre 1875 – Les Planches, 29 dicembre 1926), è stato uno scrittore, poeta e drammaturgo austriaco di origine boema. È considerato uno dei più importanti poeti di lingua tedesca del XX secolo. Autore di opere sia in prosa che in poesia, è famoso soprattutto per le Elegie duinesi (iniziate durante un soggiorno a Duino).
Fondato nel 2021 il Premio Internazionale “RAINER MARIA RILKE” Duino Aurisina prevede la partecipazione al concorso di opere di poesie in tutte le lingue, comprese quelle delle minoranze etnolinguistiche e delle parlate locali, purché accompagnate da una traduzione in italiano, nonché promuove l’opera dei traduttori e la pubblicazione di opere di poesia in lingua tedesca inedite in Italia.
adriangrima.org 
Prosit Adrian.