2019 Programme
Event #10
Mazen Maarouf, Matteo Nucci
Jokes on future
Is it possible to have a love affair during a conflict? Is it possible for orphans to escape from bombs? Is it possible to survive soldiers’ tortures? In a contemporary Tale of Tales – in which fascination and fear, magic and dread become an innovative, clever analysis and a literary criticism of the present – Mazen Maarouf reveals us how to blend our daily routine and the cruel unreality of the war in order to resist in the only way possible. Dreaming, joking, imaging the future. In an unknown city, tore apart by the war, the writer observes and tells us about a world in which adults, young people and kids try, nevertheless, to resist.
Interprete: Marina Astrologo
Mazen Maarouf is a Palestinian-Icelandic writer, poet, translator and journalist. Born in Beirut to a family of Palestinian refugees, he lives between Beirut and Reykjavìk, where in 2011 he was hosted by International Cities of Refuge. He has recently published his first short story collection titled “Jokes for the Gunmen”, which was nominated to Man Booker International 2019 and awarded the Al Multaqa Prize, the most relevant Arabic prize dedicated to short stories. It was published by Granta in the UK and at the end of August will be published in Italy by Sellerio.
ph. credits: Raphael Lucas
Matteo Nucci was born in Rome in 1970. With Ponte alle Grazie Publishers he published the novels Sono comuni le cose degli amici (2009, shortlisted at Strega Award), Il toro non sbaglia mai (2011), È giusto obbedire alla notte (2017, shortlisted at Strega Award) and the narrative-essay L’abisso di Eros (2018). He curated the new edition of Plato’s Symposium (Einaudi, 2009) and the narrative-essays Le lacrime degli eroi (Einaudi, 2013), Achille e Odisseo. La ferocia e l’inganno (Einaudi, 2020), Il grido di Pan (Einaudi, 2023). With HarperCollins he published the novel Sono difficili le cose belle (2022). His short stories were published in magazines, anthologies and eBooks. He collaborates with Venerdì di Repubblica, Specchio by La Stampa and l’Espresso.
Event #6
Alessandro Barbero
Popular revolts in Medieval Europe.
The Jacquerie of French peasants (1358)

Event #16Approfonditamente
Dario Bressanini, Lucilla Titta
Yesterday’s and tomorrow's diets. How to survive fake news?

Event #21
Paolo Colombo, Michele Tranquillini
Ernst Henry Shackleton. The hero who defeated the Arctic

Event #25
Roberto Celada Ballanti
The destiny of a community and many religions: is there a dialogue for the future of humanity?

Event #31Approfonditamente
Marco Ortenzi, Marco Parolini
The real truth about plastic and bioplastic (maybe)

Event #62didatticaMente
Alberto Pellai, Barbara Tamborini
The emotive education of the hyper-connected generation
