Italy will be in the French city from April 17 to 23 for two reasons: the Festival du Livre de Paris and the eighth edition of ITALISSIMO.

The Italian book sector will be doubly represented from April 17 to 23 in Paris for two reasons. The first is Italy’s participation as the guest of honor at the Festival du Livre de Paris (April 21-23 at the Grand Palais Éphémère). On the other hand, it will also be part of the week of ITALISSIMO, the Festival of Italian Literature and Culture (April 18-23 at various venues in the city).

The participation in the FLP, with a privileged space of 500 square meters inside the Grand Palais Éphémère and an intense program of appointments, is part of a path of international promotion of the Italian edition that in 2024 will also touch the Frankfurt Fair (again as a guest of honor) and is possible thanks to the support and collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Culture with the Center for Books and Reading, the Italian Embassy in Paris, the Italian Institute of Culture in Paris, ICE – Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies and AIE – Association of Italian Publishers.

Inaugurated in 1981 as Livre Paris and undergoing a radical renovation in 2022, the year it also adopted its new name, the Festival du Livre de Paris is the most important French and French-speaking event in the field of publishing, as well as one of the most important in Europe. Italy returns in 2023, after 21 years, to play the role of guest of honor in France, a country that represents Italian publishing the second largest market for rights sales, with 917 titles sold in 2020 (data from the AIE Research Office, 2022).

The program of the Festival du Livre de Paris is flanked by that of ITALISSIMO, curated by Fabio Gambaro. Created in 2016, the festival has established itself as one of the most anticipated events for the promotion of Italian literature and culture in Paris, with a growing following from both the transalpine cultural world and the public and media.

ITALISSIMO offers a highly articulated program, in which a mix of the most beloved authors of the Italian publishing scene and a selection of new voices is developed through exchange and intertwining with the other arts: between writing and image, thought and performance. It is held in various venues and in collaboration with prestigious cultural institutions of the city, such as the Maison de la Poésie, the Italian Institute of Culture, the Consulate General of Italy, the Théâtre de l’Odéon, the Théâtre Les Déchargeurs, Sciences Po, Sorbonne Université, Sorbonne Nouvelle, the cinemas L’Entrepôt and Panthéon, the Maison d’Italie, the Bibliothèque Publique d’Information of the Centre Pompidou and the institutes of the Paris region.

This eighth edition of ITALISSIMO is supported by the ICE Agency, the Center for Books and Reading, the Italian Embassy in Paris, the National Book Center of Sofia, Drac Ȋle de France, Monte Paschi Banque, Castaldi & Partners, the Consulate General of Italy in Paris and the Cultural Animation Committee of Paris.

Source: AIE