Reading at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Vancouver

Caterina Edwards

Genni Gunn

The 2010 Bressani Literary Prize, November 30, 2010

The Italian Cultural Centre Society established the prize in 1986 during the celebrations for Vancouver’s Centennial and the launch of the First National Conference of Italian Canadian Writers. The Centre’s Board of Directors accepted a proposal put forth by a local committee led by C. Dino Minni and Anna Foschi Ciampolini for the creation of a literary prize aimed at honouring and promoting the literary work of Canadian writers of Italian origin or Italian descent. The Bressani Prize, held every two years and originally dedicated to Italian Canadian literature, was later opened to writers from other cultures but was then discontinued for a few years. In 2000, the Italian Cultural Centre’s new F. G. Bressani Committee restored the original intent and meaning of the Prize. The Prize is named after the Jesuit Father Francesco Giuseppe Bressani, an Italian missionary, born in Rome on May 6, 1612. The 2010 Edition of the Bressani Prize was organized by the Italian Cultural Centre in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Vancouver and Regione Lazio Cultural Society.

Anna Foschi, co-founder of the Bressani Literray Prize, 

San Diego writer Pasquale Verdicchio 

(the winner of the Bressani Prize for Poetry) 

and il Consolato Generale d'Italia in Vancouver 

Anna Foschi, Edmonton writer Caterina Edwards 

(the winner of Bressani Prize for the category 

"Emigration from Italy") 

and il Consolato Generale d'Italia in Vancouver 

Anna, Toronto writer Michelle Alfano 

(Winner of the Bressani Prize for Short Fiction) 

and il Consolato Generale d'Italia in Vancouver

Anna, Toronto writer Michael Mirolla 

(Winner of the Bressani Prize for Long Fiction) 

and il Consolato Generale d'Italia in Vancouver

 Prize winners, jury judges, friends and colleagues.

All photos were taken by Giulio Recchioni of the Italian Cultural Centre.