Ryszard Kapuściński, Warsaw, 2006, photo: Peter Andrews / Reuters
The 2013 Premio Ryszard Kapusciński was presented to Francesco M. Cataluccio and Paolo Rumiz for their work in journalism, and to Ferdinando Scianna for photography.
The award is the first to take Kapusciński's name and legacy outside of Poland, and was initiated by Krzysztof M. Bednarski, a sculptor living in Rome. The Premio Ryszard Kapusciński is given on the grounds of achievement in three categories: a reporter early in her or his career, a reporter who has gained career recognition and a photographer.
Francesco M. Cataluccio was recognised in the first category for having written articles on the history and the culture of Poland and Central Europe. In 2008 he wrote an article for the prestigious Italian newspaper Il Sole-24 Ore where he revealed that legendary journalist Oriana Fallaci had Polish ancestry who had died fighting in the nation's conflicts. Cataluccio is known to Polish readers for his books Niedojrzałość, choroba naszych czasów / Immaturity: Disease of Our Time and Jadę zobaczyć, czy tam jest lepiej / I’m Going to See if It’s Better There, both published by Znak in Kraków.
Paolo Rumiz works for the daily paper La Repubblica as a writer and reporter. He was a correspondent during wars in the former Yugoslavia and in Afghanistan. Presented the Premio on the grounds of lifetime achievement in journalism, he has travelled the world by bicycle, ship and train.
Ferdinando Scianna received the Premio in the category of photography. The 70-year-old has worked with famous Italians including writer Leonardo Sciascia and director Giuseppe Tornatore. He is the author of many photo albums and is renowned for his portraits of Jorge Luis Borges.
The awards ceremony took place in the Capitoline Museum; among those in attendance was the famed writer's widow, Alice Kapuścińska. Ryszard Kapuscinski is one of the acclaimed foreign authors in Italy and the Premio was created in collaboration with the his family, the Polish Cultural Institute and the Italian publishing house Feltrinelli. It began in 2012 as a part of an initiative with the Rome Travel Literature Festival.
Sources: PAP, author: DW 25/09/2013
Translation: SMG 26/09/2013