The World of Niccolò Ammaniti

With Il custode, winner of the 2026 Costa Smeralda® Prize, the writer returns to the themes of adolescence and self-discovery

Niccolò Ammaniti, one of the most fascinating voices in contemporary Italian fiction, won the Premio Costa Smeralda® 2026 for Fiction with Il Custode (The Custodian). An author adept at navigating childhood, adolescence, and the darkest corners of the mind with a style both visionary and lucid, in this novel Ammaniti narrates the fragile yet decisive transition to adulthood.

Niccolò Ammaniti, Il Custode

You won the Premio Costa Smeralda® 2026 for Fiction with Il custode. Where did inspiration for this novel come from?

From a great love for Sicily and a passion for Greek mythology, especially the monsters – hybrid creatures endowed with extraordinary and often lethal powers, still capable today of speaking to our deepest fears.

What kind of world is Nilo’s? Is there a connection with Io non ho paura (I’m not Scared)?

There are some similarities, but the two stories are different. Michele’s secret comes suddenly, by chance; Nilo’s, however, has been present in his life since birth. His is a shadowy world, suspended between the darkness of his family and the light of the Sicilian landscape.

How does Il Custode fit into your writing journey?

It’s a novel that returns to theme of adolescence, but it tackles issues that are new to me: the conflict between family values and the need for independence, sexual desire, and first love. It describes that delicate moment when one begins to leave childhood behind

What current issues do you feel you’ve explored most deeply?

I believe one of the central themes is the delicate relationship between parents and children, especially the moment when a mother must acknowledge her child’s independence. It’s a difficult, painful, but necessary transition. Education becomes the cornerstone of the Vasciaveo family’s life: what is passed down, what is imposed, and what a child must learn to question in order to become his or her own person.

Sicily, the land where Il Custode is set, and Sardinia: ancient islands surrounded by the sea. What do you love about Sardinia?

Just like Sicily, Sardinia is much more than an island: it is a veritable continent in miniature. A land that combines ancient histories and breath-taking beauty, harsh, luminous landscapes, memory and mystery. I love Sardinia because I feel its total alienation from the rest of Italy. It is a place that welcomes you and, at the same time, enchants you. An island with an archaic strength that remains deeply imprinted on the imagination.