VIBO VALENTIA Emotions, feelings and a bit of autobiography “filtered through the poetic message”. The music accompanied the verses read by the students of the Classical High School, coordinated by teachers Vania Continanza and Caterina Scoliari. The historic Palazzo Gagliardi in Vibo Valentia acts as a backdrop with a full atrium for the occasion. Tonino Fortuna presents his first book of poetry “Beyond appearances”, a collection of verses by the renowned Vibo journalist published by Libritalia. The well-known SkyTg24 journalist spoke with the author Alessio Viola, returning to Vibo after opening the series of events in the then book capital in 2021. During the presentation, some short films produced by the communication course of the Liceo Classico, led by the director Raffaele Suppa, were also screened, in which some of the most intense poetic verses of Tonino Fortuna’s work were recited.
Experiences and emotions at the center of the work
The author-poet recounts the genesis of the work, with the chosen title «because it represents what I never show» to life experiences that are transformed into poetry. Love, youth, but also harder moments such as the difficult period experienced during his mother’s illness, told in one of the compositions. «A very complex moment» recalls Tonino Fortuna. «I went to Rome to visit her, when I returned home I couldn’t work. I began to wander around the rooms and these verses were born there, certainly among the strongest in the book.” Over thirty years of experiences that converged in his poetics are preserved in the work. «There is clearly the evolution of the thinking subject behind these verses which recall adolescence, youth and mature age» he explains to the microphones of Courier of Calabria. «There is the imagination of another reality than the apparent one. There is a need to immerse oneself in the vastness represented by the waves of the sea to try to measure one’s life experience in a context that is not the daily tom tam”.
Poetry nowadays
There is also the attempt to rediscover a genre that seems to have been lost over time. «We need to rediscover culture and give poetry back the place it deserves, using stylistic features that are now outdated by time” explains Fortuna. «Poetry is a free stream of consciousness, but inside there must also be rules, precise cultural references and this is not a one-off or impulse poem but also thought through my literal skills». A value that also underlines Enrico Buonanno, publisher of Libritalia which promotes “Beyond Appearances”: «As is well known, poetry is among the genres that have the least commercial diffusion. But it has been recovering for some time, just think of the Strega Poetry Prize reactivated last year, a section completely dedicated to poetry and we as a publishing house participated in the selection this year.” «We focus a lot on Tonino Fortuna’s book. It is a truly very intense poem, it tells of the poet’s emotions and feelings, which actually have something more». The book, Buonanno announces, will also be exhibited at the Turin Salon and among those present at the stand of the Calabria Region. «Fortuna is not only a rediscovered poet, but also an excellent cultural operator and will be with us together with the Liceo Classico to present various books».
«Calabria rich in cultured people and poets»
«We as a publishing house – continues Buonanno – focus almost everything on Calabrian authors. Our goal is to make Calabria discovered in Italy and in the rest of the world. In this period we are working a lot on some titles that we distribute nationally and we are holding all the sector fairs. There was great participation and a great discovery of Calabria, a land rich in cultured people, poets and it is right that it has its part in the national showcase.” Whoever discovered and returned “overwhelmingly” to Calabria is Alessio Viola, journalist for SkyTg24. «I have to thank Tonino for this happy return» he states to our microphones. «Years ago he organized the presentation of my book, I have the memory of a beautiful evening and I returned delightedly for the presentation of a book that was certainly different from mine but much more beautiful. Tonino is truly a master, a lover of words, a southern man, above all a colleague». In this regard, from Viola a quick analysis on the state of health of journalism: «A little fluctuating, there are alerts as there have been in the past, but also many opportunities. It’s changed a lot since I started, even for the better. There are many forces, many energies in order not to despair. Tonino and the journalism that is done here in the South are an example of this.” (Ma.Ru.)
Tags: presentation Tonino Fortunas book Vibo
