Fifty years after the publication of the novel "La storia", which had and continues to have extraordinary national and international success, the most important literary festival in Rome "Letterature" pays homage to Elsa Morante, on the occasion of the five evenings scheduled again this year at the Palatine Stadium. "This is the history. Homage to Elsa Morante”, is the title of the 23rd edition in which great names of national and international literature are expected: from Silvia Avallone a Peter Cameron, from the column Maurizio De Giovanni a Paul Lynch, from the column Alessandro Piperno a Laurent Petitmangin. It's still: Ascanio Celestini, Amira Ghenim, Tatiana Tibouleac, Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett, Temin Fruchter, Claire messud, AK Blakemore, Roy Chen. “A traditional event of the Roman summer, perhaps the most prestigious,” said Rome's culture councilor, Miguel Gotor.
It starts on Sunday 7 July and continues until Tuesday 16 June. The program is curated by Simon Cives, with the contribution of the scientific committee composed of Paul DiPaolo, Melania Mazzucco, Davide Orecchio, Igiaba Scego e Nadia Terranova. The artistic coordination is by Fabrizio Arcuri. The writers' texts will all be inspired by a reflection on history, which according to Elsa Morante is an eternal cycle of oppression of the strong over the weak in which the true protagonists are the "happy few", witnesses of reality. “Literatures. International Festival of Rome” aims to welcome Elsa Morante's gaze on history and the world and rework it through the point of view of contemporary writers in a suggestive setting in the Colosseum archaeological park. “Elsa Morante was the first woman to win the Strega prize, she was an extraordinary writer difficult to pigeonhole into any consecrated tradition – underlined Cives -. Her writing was as enchanting as the eyes of the cats she loved so much. From the first months, La Storia sold more than 600 thousand copies, also thanks to an editorial choice made by Morante herself, who wanted it to be sold at a controlled price so that it could reach everyone".
And this year the Municipality of Rome will dedicate a series of initiatives in libraries to Elsa Morante. In fact, “History” has among its protagonists the city of Rome during the Second World War. “When it came out in 1974, the novel was accompanied by significant criticism from critics because it recovered a classic style that seemed to clash with the avant-garde of the intellectual elites of the time – recalled councilor Gotor -. However, the book sold hundreds of thousands of copies, because it had the popular national taste of a widespread audience. 80 years after the liberation of Rome from Nazi-fascism and 50 years after the publication of the novel, this year we want to reflect on History. The choice to talk about war and the condemnation of war inevitably looks to the present time." The first evening, Sunday 7 July, after the reading by Carlo Cecchi, will see on the stage of the Palatine Stadium, the Italian writer Silvia Avallone, whose latest novel is "Black Heart" and the Londoner Anna Metcalfe, author of "Crysalis". The actor and writer Ascanio Celestini will read some passages from his book “Stories of a war idiot”. Tuesday 9 July will be the turn of the Tunisian Amira Ghenim, author of "The House of Notables", followed by the French Laurent Petitmangin whose debut novel is "What You Need at Night". Also on July 9th the winner of the Strega Prize is expected on stage and finally the Italian writer Maurizio De Giovanni, known for the series of Inspector Ricciardi and the Bastards of Pizzofalcone.
The third evening on Thursday 11 July will host the Moldavian Tatiana Tibuleac, fresh from the success of her second novel "The Summer My Mother Had Green Eyes". It will be followed by the American writer Peter Cameron, author of numerous successful novels including, the best known, "One day this pain will be useful to you". Brooklyn-based Jewish writer Temin Fruchter will close the evening. Expected for the fourth evening on Saturday 13 July are the Spanish Alicia Giménez-Bartlett, known for many works including "A Room of One's Own for Others" and the Italian Alessandro Piperno who with the novel "Persecution" was a finalist in the French awards Médicis and Femina. Also on July 13th will be the turn of the American Claire Messud, whose best-known novel is "The Woman from the Upper Floor". For the last appointment on Tuesday 16 July there will be the winner of the Booker Prize 2023, with the novel "The Song of the Prophet", Paul Lynch. It will be followed by the English writer AK Blakemore whose debut novel “The Witches of Manningtree” won numerous international awards. The evening will conclude with the Israeli Roy Chen, playwright and winner of the Shai Agnon award.
The five evenings will be accompanied by music composed and performed live by Ginevra Nervi and Rita Marcotulli, pioneers of musical experimentation that interprets the spirit of the times and female strength throughout history. The opening night of the festival will be opened by “Rustica Pasquale Innarella, which with the very young musicians pays homage to another successful title by Elsa Morante: "The world saved by kids". The evenings are all free while seats last, they will begin at 21pm, access to the Palatine Stadium will be permitted from 20pm from via di San Gregorio 30 in Rome. The program was presented this morning at the Casa delle Letterature in Rome and is available on the municipal website “www.culture.roma.it”.
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