“Caffè Letterario Moak” comes to its 10th edition. It is well-known that the round numbers lead to quote figures and calculate balances. In these last ten years, 1784 stories took part; written by 1632 authors; a constant growing trend over the years; 44 alternated jurors and an estimated number of seven to eleven thousand readers.
However, numbers have a minor importance. The most important aspect is the success our authors obtained after the “Caffè Letterario Moak” experience. Indeed, many of these authors made their way into the “official” publishing industry. Let us name some of the most resounding: Roberta Lepri, authoress of La filastrocca del caffè (The coffee carol) – narration that won the 2008th edition - published the novel La ballata della Mama nera (the ballad of the black Mama) in 2010, published by Avagliano. Same for Caterina Cavina, very nice journalist from Bologna, placed third back in 2003 with her story La collana di caracolli (the necklace of caracolli), which has been much appreciated by the writer Silvana Grasso. She is now authoress of La Merla (the female blackbird) and Le ciccione lo fanno meglio (Fatties do it better), both published by Baldini Castaldi Dalai. Whilst Anna Melis, placed third in the 2007 edition with her “Il caffè di Julia (Julia’s coffee), has recently been finalist of the prestigious Calvino Prize.
However, you cannot but name also some other authors like Maria Carmela Micciché, winner of the first edition and later brilliant winner of other competitions. And also Katia Inserra, winner in 2007 with Che male c’è? (what’s wrong with it?); Riccardo Balzarini, hilarious author of La donna del mercoledi (The Wednesday woman); Caterina la Rocca, finalist in 2007 with her L’antico caffè Ceram (The old Cafè Ceram); Maurizio Luglio, author of the original Una bella tazza di caffè (A nice cup of coffee), published novels and a collection of narrations after his participation at the competition.
Several authors have been inspired by the competition’s topic, in order to carry out an anthology of narrations about coffee, irrespective of Caffè Letterario Moak. This unique initiative has been taken by Saro Fronte and Rita Picciotto.
For some of the participants, the competition has been a significant moment. One of them is Mauro Mirci, who started to rewrite after hitting on the Caffè Letterario Moak announcement during his honeymoon. Since the second edition, he has been taking part continuously, being always one of the recommended story writers; he placed second in the 2005 edition with his L’uomo del caffè (The coffee man).
Does Caffè Letterario bring luck? Maybe – after all, the 2011 advertising campaign of the organizing company is all focused on fortune. However, our rational thinking brings us back to a more concrete and accurate consideration: the competition has grown a lot in terms of numbers, participants and above all in quality. Quality that has been pursued since the first edition, “enrolling” some of the most prestigious representatives of Italian culture and publishing, in order to assure this aim.
This year’s edition, which pays tribute to the great Alda Merini, is seen as a turning point in the history of this competition. A new starting point where to continue writing the history of our award.