Elena Ferrante has been awarded the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence. The literary award to the mysterious writer of the saga of the "Amica geniale" was presented this morning during a special event of the Cheltenham Literary Festival, one of the most important literary festivals in the United Kingdom, which took place in the Town Hall of Cheltenham. The award was presented to Eva Ferri, publisher of Europa Editions UK and editor of Edizioni E/O, Ferrante's publishing house.

For the occasion the author, who hides behind a pseudonym, wrote a speech that was read during the event by actress Helen Atkinson Wood. Since 1987 the prize has been awarded to an author whose entire work is considered worthy of merit for its literary value and cultural impact. The English prize is the second foreign recognition that Elena Ferrante has received in two weeks. Last September 24th she was awarded one of the most prestigious literary prizes in Holland, the Belle van Zuylen Prize of the International Literature Festival, for the entirety of her work.