Italy?s Cassino ? home to the Montecassino Abbey, all but destroyed in WWII ? decided to award a prize to an author or authors who ?tell stories, events, testimonies from different critical situations in the world.?
?The literary scope of the Award is that of highlighting, like through a magnifying glass, the relation between literature and tragical events, paying particular attention to the historical and humanitarian aspects of the works under examination. Besides, it aims to record the evolutions in style, in the kind of attention and sensitivity of writers who are faced with those tragedies that devastate humanity,? according to the town?s website for the award (http://www.battagliamontecassino.it/html-eng/raccolta.html).
The significance of such awards is that they call the younger generation?s attention to the threatening timeliness of violence and inhumanity, Kertész said upon accepting the award.
Hungarian pianist Emese Tőkés gave a concert, sponsored by the Hungarian Academy in Rome, to honour the winners. An exhibition of photographs from the Hungarian National Museum entitled "Women in World War II" was also opened at the Cassino Museum as part of the events to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Montecassino.
Source: MTI
