BRINDISI – The second edition of “Giallo e Nero di Puglia”, the literary festival organized by the Nuovo Teatro Verdi Foundation with the support of the Municipality of Brindisi, comes to life. Among the initiatives to launch the competition, theopening ceremony with the presentation, in the presence of the authors and the mayor of Brindisi Giuseppe Marchionna, of the books “The master of dreams” by Marco De Franchi, “Annabella Abbondante, the past is a curious creature” by Barbara Perna and “The mystery of Castelforte” by Gabriella Genisi. The festival coordinator, Regina Cesta, moderates. Entrance is free.
“Giallo e Nero di Puglia” presents itself as an important showcase for the noir, thriller and mystery genres, offering authors a participatory stage to exhibit their works focused on mysteries and related investigations. The second edition is enriched with new dynamics, in which publishing houses play a central role by proposing the names of the authors who will compete for the title of winner of the “Giallo e Nero di Puglia 2024” prize for the published section. This year, in fact, the competition is aimed at published works. The award will be awarded during the final scheduled for the last Saturday of November 2024. The first edition, reserved for unpublished works, saw an extraordinary participation of debut authors and the victory of Ilaria Ferramosca with the novel “Nel passa di Magritte” , which will be published by Giunti Editore next autumn.
With his new novel, “The master of dreams”, Marco De Franchi takes us on a desperate and fascinating journey into the depths of the mind and psychiatric illnesses. The story follows Valentina Medici, a young commissioner of the Central Operations Service, whose fate is intertwined with a dark serial killer who turns nightmares into frighteningly tangible realities. De Franchi dreamed of being a writer as much as he wanted to become an investigator. In fact, he has a past as chief police commissioner, a period during which he worked at the Central Operations Service, the Italian investigative office that is closest to the FBI.
“The past is a curious creature” is the third novel by Barbara Perna whose protagonist is Annabella Abbondante, civil judge in Pianveggio, originally from the Sorrento coast. A woman of great charisma, perpetually on a diet, Annabella will have to confront her past this time by returning to the Palazzo Abbondante where her cheerful and nosy family lives. But who is the man accused of murder? The woman’s first and only great love, Tano, who will give the story a pleasant moment of romance. “The past is a curious creature” is a novel full of curious and well-defined characters who never go beyond their role, leaving room for the real protagonists.
With “The Angel of Castelforte”, Gabriella Genisi presents a new adventure of Chicca Lopez, a very young girl from Salento and a rebel carabinieri. The capricious English lord Victor Allen chooses Salento to host a residence for writers, selected from all over the world to work on a literary project. Meanwhile, Chicca Lopez sails on a boat in the winter sea together with Glenda, the bartender who stole her heart. But the holiday does not last long: a writer from the residence was found dead, but it is only the beginning. In this novel of words, breaths, sunsets, love, death, Gabriella Genisi tells the most disturbing side of writers. And, like many little Indians, each of them will have to watch their back.
After the conversation, participants will be invited to the Caffetteria Nervegna for a moment of conviviality and exchange. Thanks to the collaboration of the Pro Loco of Brindisi, it will be possible to purchase the works presented and take advantage of an aperitif, for the occasion “Aperigiallo”, in the company of the authors. This part of the initiative is intended to strengthen the bond between readers and writers, as well as offer a unique networking opportunity in an environment of sharing and participation. The festival offers a formidable spotlight on these genres, creating an opportunity to involve a diverse audience and promoting reading through the discovery of new authors and works. This type of exposure helps to demolish the barriers between different literary genres and opens new horizons for readers, who can discover the narrative richness of noir and its subgenres. The stories presented during the festival often touch on profound and challenging issues, such as justice, morality, corruption and the human condition, providing ideas for critical reflections and constructive discussions. A model designed for an audience looking for content that stimulates thought and offers insights into contemporary reality.
The Nuovo Teatro Verdi Foundation confirms its commitment and its role in promoting culture and literature by aiming to make Brindisi a point of reference for lovers of quality books. Saturday 27 April stands as a qualifying moment for the cultural life of the city, marking a decisive step towards the valorization of the regional and national literary heritage.
