Already crowned with the Blù Jean-Marc Roberts prize for her work Ilaria (Zoe), Gabriella Zalapi wins the 9e Femina prize for high school students.
Of English, Italian and Swiss origin, Gabriella Zalapi was trained at the Geneva High School of Art and Design. Visual artist and author, she won the Madame Figaro Heroine Grand Prize in 2019 for her novel Antonia, journal 1965-1966.
An intimate and family story
Today, the artist continues to draw on his family history. Already selected for the Le Monde 2024 literary prize, Ilaria depicts the eponymous character, a child trapped between tenderness and violence, two polar opposite emotions which nevertheless marked the beginnings of her life, spent alongside a brutal father. Despite the obstacles strewn along her path and the irresponsibility of her father, Ilaria will gain emancipation and learn to exploit her creative force.
The Femina prize for high school students is an artistic and cultural education system which aims to stimulate the discovery of contemporary literature, to promote the taste and practice of reading, and to allow schools to be part of the cultural network .
In 2023, it is Eric Chacour who had been crowned for his novel What I know about you (Philippe Rey).
