Italy is the guest country of the book fair, but many prominent authors did not want to be involved in the official delegation of Meloni’s cultural politicians. Now they are coming to Frankfurt. Why?
Nicola Lagioia comes to the Frankfurt Book Fair. Paolo Giordano and Antonio Scurati are also going there. And Roberto Saviano. At first it didn’t look like these Italian authors would actually appear in Germany in the fall. Your country is the guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. The official delegation that organizes the appearance of a host country and is allowed to invite local authors is traditionally sent by the government. But since Italy has been ruled by Giorgia Meloni, the representative of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party, the question is how the Italian literary scene, which has always been left-wing and liberal, positions itself for the “official appearance” of its country in Frankfurt.