Roberto Saviano
Award Name : Olof Palme Prize
Year of Award : 2011
Award for : Human Rights
Location : Napoli, Campania, Italy
Roberto Saviano (born September 22, 1979) is an Italian writer and journalist.In his writings, articles, television programs, and books he employs prose and news-reporting style to narrate the story of the Camorra (a powerful Neapolitan mafia-like organization), exposing its territory and business connections.
Since 2006, following the publication of his bestselling book Gomorrah (Gomorra in Italian), where he describes the clandestine particulars of the Camorra business, Saviano has been threatened by several Neapolitan "godfathers". The Italian Minister of the Interior has granted him a permanent police escort. Because of his courageous stance, he is considered a "national hero" by author-philosopher Umberto Eco.He received Olof Palme Prize in 2011.