"The Bridge" - the book award, curated by Casa delle Letterature of municipality of Rome in partnership with the American Initiative For Italian Culture (AIFIC), the American Embassy in Rome, NIAF (The National Italian American Foundation) in Washington, DC and Fuis (the Federation of Italian Writers) - was launched in Milan on Wednesday.

A prize that every year awards a new fiction work and a new non fiction book by Italian writers judged by an American jury and a new fiction work and a new non fiction work by American authors judged by an Italian jury. The host of the evening was Maria Gliozzi Bemporad, founder and one of the fourth directors of the American Initiative For Italian Culture Foundation, AIFIC, an American non profit organization born in Washington, DC three years ago.

"What we are really interested in is the cultural exchange and to support young talents, give them visibility, allowing them to travel among the two countries and to bring them in totally new cultural contest"' said Gliozzi. " Our passion in discovering new talents spreads to another AIFIC's activity, and that's Literature. Through the promotion of freshly published novels and essays we
collect the most recent literary trends in the two countries"' Aific's director added. And it is from the above mentioned interest in literature that the literary award "The Bridge" was created. The award was launched in Milan by Gliozzi along with Ambassador Philip T. Reeker, and curator of the award Maria Ida Gaeta, Director of the Casa Delle Letterature of the City of Rome.

"The Bridge has the goal to strengthen the mutual understanding between Italy and the United States, informing the readers on the best novels and essays recently published in the two countries. The Award is like a "bridge" merging the two countries." Explained Gaeta.

The books in competition are published in both their home countries in the year preceding the award. The winners receive a monetary prize and the book's translation in the opposite language facilitating the publication in the opposite country. The four winners (for the Italian fiction and non fiction, and for the American fiction and non fiction) are selected with a two turns vote. The first, in September, will determine the finalists of each category and country. The second vote, in October will see the winner of each category and country.

The ceremony awards will take place in October both in Italy and in the US. In the US the prize will be awarded during the weekend of NIAF's Gala in Washington, and will be followed by a round table with the winners and other members of the literary community at the Italian Embassy on October 19, 2015.

Right after the winners will leave for a promotion tour first at John D. Calandra Italian American Institute in NYC, then the tour will continue in the Italian cultural institutes and several universities.

In Italy, the prize will be awarded during Columbus Day' s celebrations at the American Embassy in Rome. Right after the winners will start their promotional tour. Among the selected Italian authors well known names such as Starnone, Montesano, Isnenghi. Not less important are the American selected the likes of Laila Lalami, Claudia Rankine, Laird Hunt, among the others, with publishers such as Knopf, Pantheon, Reverhead, Graywolf.

Among the guests of the evening, the publishers Neri Pozza, Elliot, Laterza e Rizzoli, and among the writers, some of the Bridge's candidates: Romana Petri, Donatella di Pierantonio, Enrico Regazzoni, Roberto Bizzochi.

Other guests from the cultural world of Milan attended the event, among others famous writer Camilla Baresani and Emilio Isgro', journalists such as Sebastiano Barisoni (Radio24), Barbara Carfagna (TG1 Rai), Christian Rocca (Director IL Magazine), artist Luca Pignatelli, the art Director of MITO Settembre/Musica Renzo Restagno, the president of Filmmaster Production Giorgio Marino, the president of Oxfam Italia Maurizia Iachino, fashion designer Romeo Gigli, Adele Re Rebaudengo and architect Alessandro Scandurra, the president of Arts Council Alessandra Pellegrini, and Elena Tettamanti curator of Triennale di Milano.

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