The Turin Book Fair kicks off. Mattarella: "A priceless good book"

• Book Fair in attendance from 14 to 18 October at the Lingotto

Share

October 14, 2021 "The Book Fair is a fundamental event for the cultural life of our country. Its return to presence after the tormented period of the pandemic is a source of great satisfaction for all". Thus the Head of State,

, in the message to the organizers of the Book Fair which opens today in Turin. "During the Covid emergency, books have been for many citizens a refuge, an ally, a weapon against loneliness and discouragement - writes Mattarella - where they forced us to distance ourselves from others, the book has allowed us to get closer to new stories , to different characters, to unexplored worlds ". 

For Mattarella "the book is an inestimable asset for humanity. A precious and indispensable vehicle of knowledge, beauty, comparison, civil growth. The book does not end in the writer-reader relationship. But it is the final product of a cultural industry, which constitutes a real supply chain and an essential growth engine for our society and our economy ".

For this reason, it is the solicitation that comes from Mattarella, "it is necessary that the cultural work be respected, that the editorial channels are made accessible to new talents, that the small publishing realities are supported, that the precious role of cultural protection of neighborhood bookstores be defended and strengthened, alongside a widespread diffusion of online sales, capable of reaching readers even in areas without bookstores ". This edition of the Turin Book Fair, he continued, "is significantly named after Dante, the greatest of Italian poets and an intellectual deeply committed to the renewal of the customs and politics of his time. This dedication is demanding and my best wishes. is that the world of books andpublishing acquires ever greater momentum and a rediscovered centrality within our society making Italians more educated, freer, more aware ».

For five days and five nights

, "with authors from the four corners of the world", said

, director of the Turin International Book

, inaugurating the 2021 edition. "There are lines outside - he added - the kids coming in. It's exciting. Five months ago we had a dramatic meeting to decide whether to do the Salone or not, we had to make a bet. Bet on the fact. that things would go well meant betting on the future. " "It is the first international event of this magnitude dedicated to the book - he said - and Turin and Italy are leading the way. We have a small record that will remain so in the coming months. There is a responsibility that we take, but there is also a lot of pride ". "It took courage - he concluded - it took the support of the institutions, of the publishers who have returned in an important way, of the Italian and international authors". 

From the Nobel Prize comes an appeal to the world of politics: "let's give the future to young people". "We must invest in culture, it is essential to have a plan for education so that students are able to orient themselves in this world and distinguish what is good from what is not". Addressing the ministers present, Parisi added: "I appeal to politics, we give hope for our future, we pay more attention not only theoretical but supported by appropriate funding to culture which is a fundamental sector for the country".

"This Salone is the symbolic moment of the restart". Thus the Minister of Culture

, present at the inauguration of the Turin Book Fair. "We all remember how sad Italy was with squares, cinemas, museums and theaters closed, there was a great desire to restart and I believe that this Salone is truly the symbolic moment of this restart". "This is the Salone del Paese not only in Turin," he said. "I would like the new law on the book to be approved before the end of the legislature. A law that supports publishing, as is already the case with cinema, so as to help the entire supply chain", he added.

"We have allocated 30 million plus another 30 to allow libraries to buy local books and this rule must become permanent in the state budget. The second measure was, in the red areas, to keep the bookstores open together with the supermarkets. A signal important because the book is food for the soul. For once Italy has been seen as a point of reference and not one of backwardness. What characterizes this sector - he concluded - is that those who choose to work with it do so by vocation, puts his heart into it ". 

From 14 October to 18 October the International Book Fair - Vita Supernova, dedicated to Dante, becomes an opportunity to reflect with some of the greatest authors in the world - names such as Javier Cercas, ValeriePerrin, David Quammen, MIchel Houellebecq, André Aciman, Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett - on topical issues, starting with the pandemic and climate change. Opening the lecture by the great Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the video message of the Nobel Prize in Physics Giorgio Parisi.

All the publishing houses of 2019 will be present at the Lingotto, but some new names will also arrive. Dozens of scheduled meetings, present the main Italian authors such as Antonio Manzini, Stefania Auci, Domenico Starnone, Silvia Avallone, Maurizio De Giovanni, Sandro Veronesi, but also names of music, cinema, TV and sport. "We never thought of a halved show. We worked as if it could really happen and we won the challenge. We thought it would be an Italian show and it will be the most international ever," said Lagioia.   

Thanks to the latest government regulations

. Over half of the seats in the hall are available for direct access on the day of the event, as in past editions. However, you will only enter with the

and the

even in outdoor spaces.

400 schools from all over Italy will be physically present at the Salone, while more than a thousand classes from 613 cities will participate in the 'virtual school trip'.

The Bookstock, the student house, will occupy an entire pavilion of the Lingotto, with an area of ​​7,300 square meters.

Over 300 appointments until 21 October of the Book Off Fair including meetings with authors, readings, concerts, film screenings, theatrical performances, exhibitions, debates, workshops in 100 locations throughout Piedmont, from libraries to clubs, from streets to neighborhood houses .