Overview
- The disputed conversation happened on Thursday June 18 on a minivan during the Strega finalists' tour to Bisceglie, and several news reconstructions say Michele Mari made remarks linking Michela Murgia’s temperament to her appearance.
- Multiple outlets report that Teresa Ciabatti confronted Mari on the vehicle and that the exchange later became public through testimonies from people present, though no audio or transcript has been published.
- Mari issued a public denial of having commented on Murgia’s physical appearance and said he clarified and apologised to Ciabatti; he also described some accounts as 'uncontrolled rumours.'
- The Fondazione Goffredo e Maria Bellonci formally condemned any denigratory language but ruled that the Strega regulations do not permit excluding a finalist or allowing an author to withdraw, so Mari remains in the six‑book sestina and is listed as the provisional frontrunner in published tallies.
- The episode has split the literary community, raising questions about how private speech should affect public prizes, how close‑quarters promotion like the finalists’ tour can amplify disputes, and how reputational controversy may influence voters and future Strega procedures.