Michele Mari won the 2026 Strega Prize with his novel "I convitati di pietra" (Einaudi), receiving 190 votes. It is the 80th edition of Italy's most prestigious literary award, with the final ceremony held at the Campidoglio in Rome. Andrea Bajani, winner of the 2024 edition, chaired the jury. A total of 643 votes were cast, equal to 80.4% of eligible voters.

The full ranking of the six finalists is as follows: first place Michele Mari with "I convitati di pietra" (Einaudi), 190 votes; second place Matteo Nucci with "Platone. Una storia d'amore" (Feltrinelli), 152 votes; third place Bianca Pitzorno with "La sonnambula" (Bompiani), 84 votes; fourth place Alcide Pierantozzi with "Lo sbilico" (Einaudi), 78 votes; fifth place Teresa Ciabatti with "Donnaregina" (Mondadori), 75 votes; sixth place Elena Rui with "Vedove di Camus" (L'Orma), 64 votes.

The novel, proposed for the prize by Vittorio Lingiardi, tells the story of a group of former Milan high school classmates who make a cruel pact: each pays an annual fee for decades, and the very large prize pool will go only to the last three survivors. What begins as a joke turns into a ruthless survival contest marked by greed, grudges, and mysteries.

Upon the announcement of his victory, Mari said: "I am very emotional and happy. I thank all the readers who supported me, all the readers who did not support me and whom I nonetheless met during this rather demanding tour, to use a euphemism."

The award came after several days of controversy surrounding remarks Mari made about the physical appearance of Michela Murgia, who passed away in 2023, during a conversation aboard the finalists' van headed to Bisceglie in mid-June. Fellow finalist Teresa Ciabatti had collected the remarks and responded to them, calling them "unacceptable." In a subsequent interview, Mari said: "I didn't think I would hurt anyone, I didn't want to be sexist." He also admitted: "I don't know how to smile and when asked for explanations, I remain silent. Books have always been my refuge."