Pietro Cheli Literary Award
What is it
The award
The Pietro Cheli Literary Award is a prize dedicated to books that describe, interpret, and promote food and wine culture and “table culture”. Established in 2026 as part of the World Pesto Championship, the prize was created with the aim of promoting a broad and contemporary view of food as a cultural, social, and economic phenomenon.
Named after Pietro Cheli, a journalist and intellectual who dedicated his life to culture, books, and the art of good living, the award carries on his legacy: a curious, rigorous, and accessible perspective, capable of describing complexity without losing lightness. During his career, Cheli collaborated with important Italian publishers, including Radio Rai, Il Giornale, La Voce, and Amica magazine, distinguishing himself with a cultured but never elitist style. His connection with the World Pesto Championship, of which he was also a long-standing judge, represents the ideal
meeting point between gastronomic culture and storytelling.
The award is aimed at works that explore food not only as a culinary experience, but as an expression of identity, memory, and transformation. Books that recount food and wine in its many dimensions are valued, highlighting the role of the table as a space for relationships and exchange between cultures, eras, and territories.
Pietro Cheli award
The rules
Participation is open to books by living authors published in Italian and available in paper format, according to the time criteria defined in the regulations. The selection process involves an initial evaluation by the Technical Secretariat, the identification of a shortlist of finalists, and the selection of the winning work by the Jury.
In addition to the winner, particularly significant works may be highlighted, including illustrated publications, photography, comics, graphic novels, and children’s books, reflecting the Award’s focus on all forms of contemporary storytelling.
The award ceremony takes place in Genoa, at the Palazzo Ducale, during the events linked to the Championship. The winner receives the Mortaio Award, a symbol of Ligurian tradition, along with a cash prize.
The Pietro Cheli Literary Prize is thus a point of reference for fiction and non-fiction dedicated to food, helping to strengthen the link between literature and food and wine and to promote the cultural value of Italian cuisine around the world. It is an initiative that brings together territory, publishing, and tradition, offering an authoritative space to talk about food as a universal language and shared heritage.
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