More cohesive, stronger: the rule also applies in literature. Let’s start again from Vittorio Del Tufo’s commentpublished yesterday in Il Mattino, regarding the need to bring together the 3 city book festivals in a single event, which would guarantee more related activities and, above all, more literature among the people: «United we win, disunited we don’t get far».
Naples City Bookjust closed at Maritime Station. Then, in the autumn, I start again from the Books at the State Archives and Campania Libri Festival at Palazzo Reale. Three events and three different organizations. 3 years have now passed since the separation of the salons. Il Mattino, today, asks the editors about the possibility of reuniting them. At least in intention, there is openness: «We can go back to a single event», say the majority of entrepreneurs. But the positions are not completely aligned.
The openings
To date, there is no shortage of openings for the reunion, hearing the three protagonists of the first Napoli Città Libro di Royal Palace of 2021 (organized by Polidoro, Guida and Rogiosi). «Three years ago – says Diego Guida – We were all still united, and there was funding from Region of around 200 thousand euros. The organization made a bigger commitment for the following year, but not everyone agreed with the idea of relying on an institution. The most beautiful project to be pursued was that of Francesco Durante, who imagined the meeting of all the book fairs of Southern Italy. 27 of us signed a protocol. After Durante’s death, the project foundered. I would be happy to reform the network between Neapolitan publishers. All united we win, but if we take one more step. It would be nice to go back to investing in Durante’s vision and try to create a Southern Italy salon from Naples.”
«In our association, Campania Editori, there are 40 or more members – says Alessandro Polidoro – The problem of dividing the festivals is of a political nature. I am in favor of the creation of a single book fair that involves all Noon. Several months ago I sent an email to the Region, in which I declared my willingness to bring together the book fairs and take a step aside for the good of the community. From the offices I was told that, although they shared the vision of returning to a single event, there were no conditions to change things during the race. We can start from the partnership already set up with the Municipality, which represents a model of public-private sharing at an international level and fully implements the constitutional provisions.” The publisher Rosario Bianco (Rogiosi) launches an appeal: «We must aim to return to a single salon, on the Turin model. I invite colleagues to sit around a table to establish concrete steps. It would be nice to be able to make it to 2025, but we need to start working immediately.”
The post
The organization also intervened in the debate yesterday with a post on Facebook I start again from the Books: «To function, fairs need an institutional, political control room. We read Il Mattino’s appeal to “join forces” because “the city needs a great book fair”. Well. We agree. One thing needs to be said though. I start again from books is the Fair longest running in the city: for 10 years we have had no political sponsors, no regional economic contributions and the support we deserve to have, given the quality of the products it offers and the numbers it records. Yet it manages, not without difficulty, to keep the event free for visitors. When we sought political mediation and sat down at the collaboration table, the response was to downsize us and put us in the corner in order to make us disappear. Having said that, we will do the 10th edition in the same spirit as the first, but with an increasingly stronger programme. We have always been open to collaborating, but we must recognize each other’s skills and the decades-long history that we and only we have at the moment (excluding festivals, obviously). We are working, head down and shoulders wide, to welcome you from 27 to 29 September».
Port’Alba
Pasquale Langella, bookseller from Port’Alba and publisher, he was among the first to relaunch the debate on social media: «I don’t want to cause controversy, obviously, and I hope for the best of the city’s publishing industry, but I can’t support the costs of three festivals.
If next year the exhibitions are not combined, I will be forced to concentrate on the Turin show and Rome”. «We need to curb the disagreements between the organizers – he explains Alfredo Mazzei, publisher and president of the Port’Alba association – A meeting between entrepreneurs must be called, leaving politics out. I offer the newly formed Port’Alba Association as a meeting place, unrelated to the disagreements of previous years”.
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The morning
