2018 EDITION
Black words, black worlds
with Igiaba Scego, Sharmaine Lovegrove, Marianne Tatepo
The inclusion and representation of black voices in the literary and cultural world is a prominent theme, in different ways, both in Italy and UK. In Italy, a country that has long struggled to come to terms with its colonial past, the voices of a new array of authors…
The politics of translation
with Vincenzo Latronico, Sophie Collins
When we translate a novel or a poem, we’re also translating a country, a tradition, the society in which this text was formed. We can use translation to subvert our own ideas of what is foreign and what is domestic, but we can also use it to reinforce stereotypes…
The fascist paradox
with Paolo Berizzi, Joe Mulhall
Neofascist groups are popular on social media and enjoy media exposure. In Italy, they are invited to tv talk shows, have their own fashion brand, and are even allowed to patrol beaches and streets in vigilante-style groups. Despite this, their typical rhetoric claims that the “liberal media” conspire to…
The story of now
with Ali Smith, Olivia Laing, Walter Siti
Literary writing works on a different time scale than the tumultuous flow of news that we live in. How can a literary story, taking months or years in the writing, try and reflect the turns and shocks of a world that seems to change radically day by day? Yet,…
Make Margaret Atwood fiction again. On feminist dystopias
with Veronica Raimo, Sophie Mackintosh
In the last couple of years, TV series like The Handmaid’s Tale and a wave of new bold literary fiction have brought the feminist dystopia genre to the forefront of the literary debate. In this panel discussion, two acclaimed writers discuss what this new prominence of the feminist dystopian…
Postcards from reality
with Michela Murgia, Ben Okri
How can writers engage with the reality of their country, beyond easy clichés or postcard-like visions? In this conversation, award-winning Sardinian author, journalist, and activist Michela Murgia talks about the relationship between realism and the myths of one’s homeland, and how a writer or an intellectual can be vocal…
DJ set
with Giovanni Coppola
Join us in the atmospheric theatre’s bar for a special DJ set.
No booking required.
Entry subject to capacity.
Running time: approximately 120 minutes.
Wretched strangers
with Caroline Bergvall, Giovanni Coppola, Livia Franchini, Ariadne Radi Cor, George Szirtes, Jane Yeh
An exclusive poetry performance featuring authors from Wretched Strangers, a poetry anthology that marks the contribution of innovative foreign-born writers to UK’s poetry culture. Published to commemorate the anniversary of the 2016 EU Referendum, Wretched Strangers documents the challenges faced by writers from elsewhere, while offering hopeful re-conceptions of…
Translation workshop
with Vincenzo Latronico
A special workshop with translator Vincenzo Latronico (also a panelist in The politics of translation). Drawing from his experience as a lecturer and with running workshops, Vincenzo will use samples from different translations of F.S. Fitzgerald’s work to offer an introduction to literary translation, inviting the participants to take…
Italy. Europe. The age of nationalism?
with Donald Sassoon, Lorenzo Marsili, Annalisa Piras
Is there a way to fight the resurgence of nationalism? The second day of our festival starts with a panel discussion about politics in Italy, in Europe, and the dark force that seems to increasingly connect them. After managing to become Italy’s main political player, the Lega seems to…
Detecting violence
with Lorenzo Pezzani, Matteo de Bellis
In an age of post-truth and media manipulation, how can we investigate some of the most controversial incidents of our times? Forensic Oceanography – the affiliate group of Turner Prize-nominated Forensic Architecture – is an independent research agency that documents the violence perpetrated against…
London as a second language
with Xiaolu Guo, Saleh Addonia, Vanni Bianconi
Three authors born outside of the UK, each with a different background, discuss what it means to become a Londoner. Being a foreigner, finding a home, embracing a different language along with the London state of mind – what does all this mean, especially if you’re a writer? The…
Long live the European novel
with Nicola Lagioia, Mathias Énard
The old good European novel used to be full of cosmopolitan and experimental characters, obsessed with Mitteleuropa and exile. Things have changed quite a bit, so what’s the European novel in the age of Brexit and deaths at sea in the Mediterranean? In this extraordinary panel discussion, two major…
My brilliant novels… and TV series
with Eva Ferri, Lisa Appignanesi
Novel and TV series: the debate on the relationship between these two intertwined forms of fiction is revived by an upcoming new HBO-Rai drama, based on Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend and her other Neapolitan Novels. We celebrate the upcoming international release of the series with a stage reading…
DJ set
with Francesco Nerini
Help us bring the curtain down on FILL 2018 while we celebrate with a DJ set by Francesco Nerini.
No booking required. Entry subject to capacity.
Running time: approximately 100 minutes.