The Women's Fiction Festival's literary prize is called ' Baccante', after the female worshippers of Dionysus. Each year, Harlequin Mondadori, the promoter of the Festival, awards a literary prize to an author or publishing professional of international repute. This year, the Women's Fiction Festival is awarding this prize for Lifetime Achievement to Inge Feltrinelli, for her unswerving support of women's fiction in Italy and throughout the world, in acknowledgement of the leading role both she and her publishing house has played in the support and promotion of women's fiction over the past fifty years of publishing the finest works of literature.
The 'La Baccante' prize is a gold jewel crafted by a talented local artist.

The winner of the '2005 Baccante Prize' is
INGE SCHOENTHAL FELTRINELLI

Inge Feltreinelli was born and grew up in Germany. Before moving to Milan in 1960, she was a photojournalist who interviewed, amongst others, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso and Simone de Beauvoir. In 1969, Inge Feltreinelli became vice President of the Giangiacomo Feltreinelli Editore publishing company, founded in 1955 by Giangiacomo Feltreinelli and in 1972 she became President of the company. After the death of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli in 1972, Inge Feltrinelli continued his work, concentrating on international relations to promote Italian authors abroad and to bring the finest in world literature to Italy. Ms. Feltrinelli's special project was the establishment of 95 new bookstores all over Italy. Inge Feltrinelli became Vice President of the 'Librerie Feltrinelli' company, set up in 1998 to manage the bookstores, which separated the publishing company itself from the distribution chain. She is also a Board Member of the Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation and member of the Umberto and Elisabetta Mauri School for Bookseller's Promotion Committee. She has received numerous awards for her distinguished work in the promotion of culture. She was appointed a 'Chévalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française? And a 'Cavaliere dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana'. In 1991 she received an honorary degree in Education from the University of Ferrara. In 1996, she became an honorary member of the Accademia di Brera in Milan. In 1999, Inge Feltrinelli was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2002 she receied the title of Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture. In 2004, the IULM School of Languages and Communication in Milan bestowed an honorary degree in Foreign Languages and Literature on her.

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