Everything is ready, less and less time is left until the start of the new edition of An Emotion Called Book, the literary festival that has been held in the White City for thirty years. Born in 1995 by the will of Mayor Lorenzo Cirasino and the late Councilor Renato Santomanco, the festival was artistically directed for 18 years by Anna Maria Mori, a writer and prestigious signature of “La Repubblica” who this year was awarded the recognition of Honorary President of the festival by the association Una Valle di Libri, which organizes the festival for the third year.
There are many new features for the next three years of An Emotion Called Book, the first is the participation in the “Luci sui festival” section at the Turin Book Fair, the second is the opening of a section dedicated to Apulian authors called “Radici di Puglia”, in addition to this the event will be staged in various corners of the White City. Not only the cloister of Palazzo San Francesco will be the protagonist but also Piazza della Libertà, Piazzetta Cattedrale and Palazzo Tanzarella. The event is organized in collaboration with the Municipality of Ostuni – Department of Culture
The claim used to promote the event this year already wants to celebrate the “thirty years of emotions”, which will officially fall in 2025. The project of the association “Una Valle di Libri” aims to create for the next three years a series of collateral events that go beyond the classic talk-shows with guests and authors; among the initiatives there will be exhibitions, masterclasses, showcases and much more. In the 2024 edition, there will be no shortage of recognition for the authors of the books that have distinguished themselves in the recent period, as happened last year for the prosecutor Nicola Gratteri and the journalist Gaia Tortora.
“We are trying over time – states the artistic director Flavio Cellie – to bring the event back to the success it achieved during the years of management of our honorary president Anna Maria Mori. This year’s exhibition officially opens the doors to the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the birth of “An emotion called a book” – he continues – adding sections such as that of “Radici di Puglia” and the combination with social projects such as that of ” Orecchiette, the pasta I would like.” We are happy that the municipal administration has once again placed the right trust in our association to organize this event which opens for the first time with an international guest and focuses on various themes which are also open to young people with the participation of Gianmaria Volpato, a young singer-songwriter fresh from participating in Sanremo who has created his first novel which he will present for the first time in Ostuni in Puglia.
The 2024 edition will officially open on July 3, 2024 in the cloister of Palazzo San Francesco at 9:00 pm with Patrick Zaki who will present with the journalist of Ansa Vincenzo Chiumarulo the book published by “La Nave di Teseo” entitled “Dreams and illusions of freedom. My story”. On July 6 at 9:00 pm in Piazzetta Cattedrale, guest of the review in the Radici di Puglia section will be the RAI journalist Nando Nunziante who will present with Maddalena Tulanti his book entitled “Aiutami a Guardare. On July 8, we return to the Cloister of Palazzo San Francesco for the presentation of the new book by Luca Bizzarri “Non hanno un amico” published by Mondadori, the journalist of TGR Puglia Claudia Bruno will be in conversation with the author. On July 10th, another new novel between music and words will be part of the calendar of An emotion called book, with Luca Bianchini and his “Il cuore è uno zingaro” (ed. Mondadori), in conversation with the author will be the journalist and blogger Marta Perego. On July 14th, we return to Piazzetta Cattedrale for the presentation of the book “Giù la maschera” written by the presenter of TG2 Elena Malizia, a special evening between music and words thanks to the intervention of the Camomilla Isterica group, to present the evening will be the journalist of TG2 Daniela Colucci. On July 16th, in Piazzetta Cattedrale, a new appointment with the appendix dedicated to the authors of Puglia, guest of the review Caterina Fiume with the novel entitled “Come equilibristi” to converse with the author will be the journalist and writer Francesco Roma. On July 18th in the cloister of Palazzo San Francesco there will be space for current events with Carlo Cottarelli who will talk with the head of communications of the Puglia Region Rocco De Franchi about his new book published by Mondadori entitled “Dentro il palazzo”. On July 20th (Chiostro San Francesco) there will be space for music with the journalist and radio host Luca De Gennaro who will present with the singer-songwriter Emanuele Barbati the book published by Rizzoli Lizard “Generazione Alternativa”. On July 23rd the revelation of the last Sanremo festival Gianmaria Volpato who will present his first novel entitled “Stagno” (ed Mondadori), talking with the author will be the journalist of TG2 Carola Carulli.
“An emotion called book is one of the flagship events of the cultural offering of our city – says Mayor Angelo Pomes – we thank the Una Valle di Libri association for its commitment, which is relaunching an important brand for our Community. From its foundation to its arrival at the Turin Book Fair last May – Pomes emphasizes – the mission that began with passion and determination in 1995, when Prof. Lorenzo Cirasino was at the helm of our city, continues. Together with the late Renato Santomanco, they gave life to this cultural initiative, led for 18 years by Anna Maria Mori. Today – concludes Mayor Angelo Pomes – the goal that we set ourselves as an administration is to make the event a regional and national point of reference”.
“The goal of our administration is to continue to promote the brands that have made our city famous – said Councilor Niki Maffei -. We firmly believe in this event that has significantly contributed to the cultural history of our city. Next year, the event will celebrate thirty years of activity, thus confirming itself as one of the longest-running literary and cultural festivals in Italy – concludes Councilor Maffei – over the years the festival has continued to evolve and adapt to the changes and various themes that have been addressed over time”.
Thanks to the supporters of our project: Banca di Credito Cooperativo Ostuni, Telcom – Vasar, Pace Gioielli, Masseria Traetta, RH Rent and RentBeat.
Project partners: Museum of Preclassic Civilizations, Ceramiche Carella, Todo Modo, Hotel La Terra, Ostuni Touring, Pugliarello and Typicus.
The Festival “An emotion called book”
“An emotion called a book” is a literary review that boasts a thirty-year tradition, made so thanks to the sensitivity of authors whose literary prestige is unanimously recognized. (Luciano De Crescenzo, Dacia Maraini, Corrado Augias, Margaret Mazzantini, Susanna Tamaro, Domenico Starnone, Sebastiano Vassalli, Leonardo Mondadori, Cristina Comencini, Melania Mazzucco, Daria Bignardi, Simonetta Agnello Hornby, Magdi Allam, Marino Bartoletti, Marco Travaglio, Nicola Gratteri , Gaia Tortora, Antonio Caprarica… and many others, for a total of over three hundred authors), therefore, it represents the most significant event in the cultural programming of the city of Ostuni. The “An emotion called book” festival was born way back in 1995, by the will of the municipal administration of the time which had the enlightenment to entrust the artistic direction to the journalist Anna Maria Mori, herself a best-selling author and leading journalist of “La Repubblica”. Since 2022 the literary festival has been curated by the “Una Valle di Libri” association.
The organization is the association “Una Valle di Libri”
The Festival “Una Valle di Libri” born in 2020 is an itinerant literary format that takes place in a limited territorial context but with a wide landscape scope: the Valle d’Itria (Ostuni, Carovigno, Ceglie Messapica, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Locorotondo and Alberobello). The cultural association “Una valle di libri” born in March 2022 thanks to an idea by Flavio Cellie, immediately shared with a group of ‘bibliophile’ friends, has its essence and purpose in its founding statute: to promote literary events by sharing their organization with authors and moderators.
