The prize, consisting of book publication in bilingual edition by Bordighera, Inc., is dedicated to finding the best manuscripts of poetry in English by an American poet of Italian descent and surname or middle maiden surname, to be translated upon selection by the judges into quality translations of modern Italian, for the benefit of American poets of Italian ancestry and the preservation of the Italian language. Each winning manuscript will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000 to the winning poet and $1,000 for a commisioned translator. The poet must be a U.S. Citizen, but the translator may be an Italian native speaker, not necessarily a U.S. citizen. The poet may translate his/her own work if bilingually qualified.