I convitati di pietra

"I convitati di pietra" follows the former students of class III A, who seal a dark pact among themselves after finishing their final school exams. The agreement binds the classmates until their last day, turning survival itself into a lifelong competition to see who will outlive the others. Mari renders the pact as a kind of imaginary Russian roulette that continues year after year as the group ages.

Beneath the wager run buried grudges, hidden loves, and even attempted murder among people tied together since adolescence. The novel traces how a youthful vow hardens into an obsession that shadows every stage of adult life. Its title evokes the stone guest of the Don Juan legend, an emblem of the past arriving to demand its due.

Mari explores friendship, rivalry, mortality, and the long reach of choices made in youth. The story unfolds in a compact novel published by Einaudi in November 2025. It won the 2026 Premio Strega, Italy's most prestigious literary award, with 190 votes.

The win confirmed Mari, long admired in Italy, with the country's highest literary honour.