Bringing young people closer to the world of books: this was the aim of the district Service “Reading: an open window on the world. Instrument of peace, solidarity and respect” promoted by the Matera Città dei Sassi Lions Club. In the morning in the Aula Magna of the IIS “GB Pentasuglia” the final day took place with the award ceremony of the works selected by the jury composed of the lawyer Lucia Elsa Maffei, Dr. Antonella Nota and Dr. Massimo Bianco of the Book Club Matera. The initiative, hosted thanks to the availability of the school director Antonio Epifania, was able to take place thanks to Professor Camilla De Ruggieri, teacher of Literature at the Institute, who involved some students in a “reading group”. The kids shared the reading of Like the wind among the almond trees (Feltrinelli) by Michelle Cohen Corasanti, – a novel donated to the participants by the Lions Club Matera Città dei Sassi – on which they discussed the themes, contents and characters and created final works in the form of videos, reflections and book-trailers.
The first prize went to Stefano Caporosso and Danilo Noia, the second to Nicolò Bosco and Anissa Natrella, the third to Gabriele Marinelli and Elena Colizzi. New Voices Award to Paola Montemurro, Adriana Grieco and Deborah Logallo.
The prizes were donated by the “Stigliani” library, represented in the morning by the external collaborator Dr. Maria Grazia Decuzzi, and by the Di Giulio bookshop.
Particularly touching was the testimony of Panorama.it journalist, Dr. Rosita Stella Brienza, who recounted her recent experience in Tel Aviv, where she met the families of the hostages, and in Be’eri, the kibbutz a few kilometers from Gaza , attacked on October 7 by Hamas.
Finally, the “Stigliani” library was willing to host a Young Book Club, to be established in the next school year, along the lines of the Book Club currently present and aimed at adults.
