Focus on Africa at BookCity, 2019 Edition in Milan. “Africas” This Year’s Theme

Over 3,000 writers in more than 1,500 free events; 1,400 school children from all grades; 400 volunteers and 250 locations throughout Milan; universities, theaters, and even hospitals, prisons and private homes. These are the figures for BookCity the book festival in Milan that has reached its 8^th year and takes place from the 13^th to the 17^th of November. This year it will be even more widespread and engaging.

Given the main theme of the event, Afriche (Africas),  our publication is one of the media partners. Our Editor in Chief, Antonella Napoli, with editor Chiara Cavalli, presented the cover of the special print edition at the press conference at the Teatro Parenti presenting this year’s program.

During the event, with the participation of the president of Associazione BookCity, Piergaetano Marchetti, the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, and the president of Aie, Ricardo Franco Levi, among others, the key issue of this annual event was discussed: “Africas”: different points of view, stories and accounts.

Numerous African writers will participate at dozens of events. Furthermore, the first stop of the Friendship Tour will be held in Milan: four best-selling British writers Lee Child, Ken Follett, Kate Mosse and Jojo Moyes talk about their concerns about Brexit. After their stop on 17 November at the Teatro Carcano, they will speak in Madrid, Berlin and Paris.

Among the over 3,000 writers in every corner of Milan, there will also be two Nobel Prize winners; Svetlana Aleksievic and Wole Soyinka. This year, the twinning with one of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is Barcelona. Last year the town-twinning was with Dublin.

Once more, the main sponsor of the event is Intesa Sanpaolo, while Esselunga (premium partner) will host events focused on young readers.

The event is sponsored by the Department of Culture for the City of Milan and the BookCity Milano association that includes Fondazione Corriere della Sera, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Fondazione Umberto e Elisabetta Mauri, and the Fondazione Arnoldo e Alberto Mondadori.

“Milan,” President Marchetti said, “has the suitable fabric; culturally and intellectually permeable for our initiative. And we are ready to help other cities so that they can replicate our model.” An assist the mayor did not let slip by and stressed the strength of a city that, “can take care of Italy”. Sala also mentioned proudly that Milan is, “once again, according to a classification carried out by Amazon, the city with the most readers in Italy.”

There are many collaborations this year including the Pistoia cultural anthropological festival, Dialoghi sull’Uomo (Dialogue on Humans) and  Elisabetta Sgarbi’s, Milanesiana.

The inauguration will take place on 13 November at the Teatro Dal Verme with the participation of Basque novelist Fernando Aramburu, Paolo Giordano, Michela Marzano and Simone Savogin.

The closing event will take place on 17 November at the Teatro dell’Arte with a special mix of music and literature.

Among the events is the one curated by our publication for the presentation of the book, L’innocenza spezzata (Interrupted Innocence) written by our Editor in Chief, Antonella Napoli. She will be joined by

Luciano Gualzetti, Director of Caritas Ambrosiana, and Rossella Miccio, President of Emergency who will discuss and analyze the forgotten crises and emergencies in Africa starting with the theme of Antonella Napoli’s latest book.