On Instagram, TikTok and Facebook you can find them as @chiaredilettanti, but in real life they are called Chiara Agostini and Diletta Capocchi. They are 34 and 30 years old, they are teachers (Chiara teaches literature, while Diletta teaches English) and they have a common passion: books. Their story is really beautiful to tell. The all-Pratese project was born in August: Chiara and Diletta have fun (without taking themselves too seriously, hence the name @chiaredilettanti) reviewing the books they read, with reels and posts. For each title, a list of indicators: how many “sucks” from one to five, “to read if”, “to avoid if”, if the novel can be “audiobooked” and to what it can be associated (film, TV series, etc.) . Once a month, @chiaredilettanti do a live broadcast (also with authors) on a book they both read.
“We believe that the added value of the project – says Diletta Capocchi – is that there are two of us and with different tastes: when Chiara recommends a book to me I know that it is worth reading, but it happens that it doesn’t excite me as much as it did her. This is how the comparison becomes enriching.” In recent months, Chiara and Diletta have collaborated with Centro Pecci, presenting the new releases by Tiziano Scarpa, Greta Olivo (both Einaudi) and Chiara Sfregola (Fandango). at the Ubik bookshop in Sesto Fiorentino, they then spoke with the Prato author Diletta Pizzicori of her “Gli anni dei memoria” (Sperling & Kupfer).
Not just the web, though. In December and March @chiaredilettanti organized two live book exchanges in the historic centre, at the Molo16 Fish Bar. “Each participant packed a book – explains Chiara Agostini -, left it in a basket and then, with a draw, it was returned home with another person’s title. Leaving social media was a big gamble, but we had fun and the initiative was participatory.” Since August, the page has grown visibly and many publishing houses, including Einaudi, Neri Pozza, NN, Fandango, Accent and many others have started sending their titles to Chiara and Diletta. “We also receive previews, novels that have not yet been released. Only a year ago it would have been unimaginable”, they say. And in the wake of what is popular in New York, for Friday 21 June @chiaredilettanti are organizing a reading party, with the Ubik bookshop in Sesto Fiorentino. The appointment is starting from 6.30 pm at the Greenup42 park in Sesto. There are few rules: bring a book and the desire to be together. “It will be an opportunity to read in nature – they explain – and exchange advice”. More detailed information? Naturally on the Instagram profile @chiaredilettanti.
