Wednesday 19 June 2024 at 6.30 pm, the church of S. Maria della Grazia in Lecce will welcome the official presentation of the volume entitled “My youth for a dawn of freedom” written by Anna Rosa Bergamo, edited by Vilma D’Amato, published by Edizioni Esperidi.
Together with the author and curator, Don Fernando Escobar of the community of Sant’Egidio of Rome, Riccardo Seclì of the community of Sant’Egidio of Lecce, Claudio Martino editor will speak. The evening, enlivened by the music of Maestro Vera Longo, will be hosted by the journalist Stefania Della Tomasa.
It was 2014 when Augusto D’Amato, a guest at an RSA in Lecce, began to tell his past to a group of young volunteers from the Community of Sant’Egidio in Lecce. The boys soon realize the importance for Augusto of emptying his soul and mind of unpleasant and otherwise unpleasant memories. Little by little, day after day, the man reveals episodes of his life as a soldier, starting from the day after 8 September 1943 and until the end of 1945. Augustus’ daughter, whose parent had “spared” the pain she had experienced, agreed for those stories to be recorded to leave a trace, and who knows, maybe she would publish them. Grandfather Augusto was enthusiastic about the project and hoped that his story would reach the schools, the younger ones, in fact he often repeated “the children must know what happened, because memory is easily lost but such bad things as war cannot and must not exist anymore.” Augusto’s voice can be heard thanks to the QR Codes present between the pages.
The author
Anna Rosa Bergamo, graduated in Literature from the University of Lecce, is a professor of humanities. She has an interest in anthropology with particular regard to the territorial linguistic aspect, local traditions and related cultural manifestations. You have had historical-artistic and verse writing skills for a long time. You have collaborated in the drafting of some publications. You have participated in some national and international competitions, becoming a finalist and receiving prizes. From the latest publications: Poetry “To my father” – Dedicated to… Poems to remember – Ed. Aletti 2020 (Rm); Poetry “Fragile” awarded with a plaque at the International Poetry and Fiction Competition, Anthology “Premio Vitruvio” XVI Ed. 2021 (Le). From 2020 to 2022 you published the stories: “Free to start again” and poetry “Air of freedom” into “Freedom. Narratives to be reborn” Ed. Esperidi; “Cats”, “The log of happiness”, “The fall”, “The Madonna del Carmine and the homemade sauce“, the latter took part in the Competition “Feminine Pluriverse” first edition, Milella Ed. 2022. He published the collection of poems “Flowers of the Soul, picked in Salento” Ed. Milella 2021; the book received Mention of Merit at the Premio Vitruvio XVII Ed. Honorable Mention at the Premio S. Maria Ligure XLV Ed. (Ge); he published poems in “Christmas Peace and Future” AA.VV. Ed. Tigulliana 2022, “Menhirs” Anthology “Vitruvius Award” XVII Ed. 2022 (Le). He is a finalist in the National Competition – promoted on the occasion of “Genoa Book Capital 2023” – with poems “Genoa sister” And “A book” published in the anthological collection edited by Marco Delpino “Genoa for us…“Ed. Tigulliana 2024. The poem is currently in competition”Winds of wars”. In addition to writing and reading, Anna Rosa cultivates a passion for photography and painting. She strongly loves the light of Salento which is reflected on the baroque facades of the churches with docile stone, on the sea with clear water and on the countryside cheered by flowers.
