Italy at the Frankfurt Book Fair (October 2024)
3Sat, Kulturzeit, Interview with Eva Menasse by Nil Varol, October 18, 2024: “Together with a group of Italian authors who initiated the open letter, we organized a supplementary program to the guest country’s official appearances. The Italian authors decided among themselves that Saviano should also participate in their events. (…) On stage, Saviano said he had sensed a period when his fellow writers saw him as slightly inconvenient—’Does he always have to use such strong language? Isn’t he partly to blame himself?’ Salman Rushdie describes the same experience in his autobiography, ‘Joseph Anton,’ where he explains how colleagues distanced themselves, leaving him isolated and a warning example for others.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Commentary by Karen Krüger, October 13, 2024: “Prominent authors such as Paolo Giordano, Francesco Piccolo, and Antonio Scurati canceled their participation in the official delegation in solidarity. Forty-one writers issued an open letter condemning censorship and the systematic appointment of cultural decision-makers based on political loyalty. At one point, a total boycott seemed likely. Now, most authors will attend Frankfurt, with Saviano hosted by his German publisher Hanser and ZDF. Alongside the official delegation, an alternative group will hold events organized by PEN Berlin, showcasing Italy’s literary diversity.” LINK
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Report by Carolin Gasteiger, October 14, 2024: “In their open letter, the signatories also criticized the lack of international exchange in the program, a critique that was addressed. PEN Berlin and some signatories launched ‘The Other Italy,’ a parallel series of events. Saviano, for instance, appeared twice: first in conversation with PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel on ‘Writing in Illiberal Times’ and later with journalist Birgit Schönau discussing whether democracies need heroes. Saviano’s latest novel focuses on Giovanni Falcone, Italy’s famous anti-Mafia figure.” LINK [€]
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Commentary by Felix Stephan, October 14, 2024: “Challenging the governing right-wing forces comes with its risks, even for the country’s most prominent writers. (…) Such seemingly minor incidents show how authoritarian regimes use cumulative strategies of suppression. While initial protests may be strong, successive efforts to organize resistance often falter. This year’s Frankfurt Book Fair revealed a fatigued resolve to protest. PEN Berlin’s events became a rare platform where dissenting voices could still be heard.” LINK
The Guardian, Report by Philip Oltermann, 14 October 2024: »Giordano, Scurati and Francesca Melandri will speak on a concurrent panel organised by PEN Berlin called ›Rooted in the Present‹, while Saviano will speak on stage on Friday and Saturday. The anti-mafia author was sued in 2023 for calling Meloni ›a bastard‹ over her immigration policies and subsequently fined €1,000. ›Roberto Saviano is the most famous Italian writer in the world,‹ the Austrian author and PEN Berlin spokesperson, Eva Menasse, said. ›By not inviting him to the Frankfurt book fair the Italian government has only managed to put a brighter spotlight on its illiberal practices.‹.« LINK
dpa, Report by Sandra Trauner, October 16, 2024, featured in the Tagesspiegel: “Prominent writers from this year’s guest country Italy sharply criticized Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government at the Frankfurt Book Fair. ‘The political power suppresses voices they do not want to hear,’ said Francesca Melandri during a PEN Berlin-hosted panel, consciously framed as a counterpoint to the official guest country delegation.” LINK
Frankfurt Book Fair – Alternative Italian Perspectives
Tagesschau.de, Report by Sophia Averesch, October 16, 2024: “The initial dismay was followed by a desire to create ‘an alternative program to the official guest of honor showcase,’ explained Giordano. ‘We are practically dissidents at the book fair,’ he said on Wednesday. Together with the PEN Berlin writers’ association, led by author Eva Menasse and journalist Deniz Yücel, Giordano and other authors organized several events addressing the state of culture, freedom of opinion, and artistic expression in Italy. Eva Menasse moderated the PEN Berlin event, which covered topics that Italian authors were keen to discuss but were not part of the official program.”LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Report by Eva-Maria Magel, October 16, 2024: “While the guest of honor pavilion was opened under the theme ‘Roots in the Future’ with an ode to beauty, PEN Berlin hosted a discussion about ‘Roots in the Present.’ (…) ‘I am not here to speak ill of the government. But I invite you to engage with contemporary Italian culture,’ said Scurati, whose fourth volume of the Mussolini biography series ‘M.’ was recently published in German. He observed the rewriting of history, particularly fascism, not only in Italy but also in many countries with right-wing authoritarian governments. Meanwhile, the guest of honor program featured Giordano Bruno Guerri, director of Vittoriale, Gabriele d’Annunzio’s megalomaniacal residence by Lake Garda, a favorite among the right-wing. Searching for the roots of the future there will take a while.”LINK [€]
Rheinpfalz, Report by Markus Clauer, October 17, 2024: “If you will, Italy appears twice at the fair. Officially, as during Tuesday evening’s opening ceremony where Italy’s formally nonpartisan culture minister Alessandro Giuli quoted Botho Strauß while sporting sideburns, a pocket watch strap, and a fine three-piece suit. Alternatively, there was the Italy of the government-critical author Antonio Scurati, who reported on repression at a PEN Berlin discussion titled ‘Rooted in the Present,’ a direct counter to the official guest-of-honor slogan.”LINK
Welt, Commentary by Thomas Schmid, October 17, 2024: “The guest of honor, Italy, is represented by numerous prominent and less prominent authors. Most of them are critics, to varying degrees, of Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing nationalist government. They emphasize they are not part of the official Italian delegation, which was assembled by the government. Invited by their German publishers, many appeared at panels hosted by PEN Berlin, representing their country at the book fair in visible ways. (…) However, the protest against the Italian government has a whiny tone. Italy’s cultural sector should be robust enough to stand up to petty harassment from right-wing cultural officials.”LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Report by Florian Balke, October 18, 2024: “The Italian government did not want him at the Frankfurt Book Fair, but here he is, at the PEN Berlin booth in Hall 3.1, invited by the writers’ association and his German publisher, Hanser. Half an hour before Roberto Saviano’s appearance, a crowd had already gathered in front of the too-small booth, for which author Eva Menasse apologized.”LINK
La Republica, Report by Raffaella De Santis, October 18, 2024: “›Non ci prenderete mai, nessuno ci prenderà mai.‹ Piaceranno di sicuro anche a Roberto Saviano queste parole di Alessandro Baricco. Parole pronunciate dentro la stessa Buchmesse in padiglioni diversi, allo stesso orario. Ieri la fiera del libro è stata tutta per loro: Saviano al Pen Berlin, Baricco nel padiglione italiano.”LINK [€]
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Report by Karen Krüger et al., October 19, 2024: “Paolo Giordano hadn’t intended to come to Frankfurt. But if you boycott the fair, you can’t speak there, and many Italian authors believe certain things urgently need to be said on a large stage. PEN Berlin provided that platform, which is why Giordano eventually came. In conversation with PEN spokesperson Eva Menasse, he clarified that this wasn’t just about solidarity with Roberto Saviano. His exclusion from the official guest-of-honor delegation and the contempt shown to him by the government were just symptoms of a troubling trend that began with Giorgia Meloni’s tenure.”LINK
dpa, Report by Oscar Fuchs, published in the Süddeutsche Zeitung among others, October 19, 2024: “Italian author Roberto Saviano (›Falcone‹) criticized the restrictions on freedom of expression in Italy at the Frankfurt Book Fair. ›For me, it feels like revenge (‘Vendetta’) to be here,‹ said Saviano. (…) The 45-year-old added, ‘You are a dissident if your political stance causes problems for you, your family, or your finances. That should not happen in a democracy. In Italy, it’s already happening for some of us.’ Saviano attracted a large audience at the fair, speaking at a PEN Berlin panel on ‘Writing in Illiberal Times.'”LINK
La Stampa, Contribution by Vincenzo Latronico, October 19, 2024: “Lo scrittore invitato dal PEN Berlin interviene alla Buchmesse nonostante l’esclusione. Baricco: ›Non ci prenderete mai‹.”LINK [€]
La Republica, Report by Raffaella De Santis, October 19, 2024: “Non si potrebbe dire meglio: ›I politici italiani spesso non conoscono l’editoria, sono incompetenti, ignoranti, nel senso che non sanno. Le istituzioni, anche quando vorrebbero sostenere il settore, non conoscono la materia.‹ Nicola Lagioia parla senza peli sulla lingua alla Fiera del libro di Francoforte nello stand del PEN Berlin di fronte a un pubblico internazionale.”LINK [€]
nd.Der Tag, Report by Christof Meueler, October 20, 2024: “Nonetheless, Saviano was the star of the fair. Even before the event, 40 Italian authors and writers expressed solidarity with him in an open letter initiated by screenwriter and author Paolo Giordano. (…) Some of the signatories, like Giordano, Mussolini biographer Antonio Scurati, and Francesca Melandri, refused to attend as part of the official delegation. Instead, their German publishers invited them. Others, like Holocaust-survivor descendant Helena Janeczek and Orwell translator Vincenzo Latronico, remained part of the delegation but appeared at an alternative program organized by PEN Berlin to discuss attacks on free speech under Meloni’s government. (The other German PEN center was noticeably absent.)”LINK
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Report by Kathleen Hildebrand et al., October 20, 2024: “Wherever he went, it was impossible to get through. Italian-speaking families, students, older readers—everyone wanted to see Roberto Saviano, the bestselling author and loudest critic of the Meloni government. Some reportedly waited two hours for him on Friday, as he shared on social media. When he spoke on Saturday at PEN Berlin—an organization that staged its own program in opposition to the official guest-of-honor delegation from Italy, which had conspicuously not invited Saviano—his words were broadcast outside via loudspeakers. They were sharp.”LINK
taz, Report by Julia Hubernagel, October 20, 2024: “Roberto Saviano, who was not part of the official Italian delegation, spoke at the PEN Berlin booth. The journalist and author, who has been investigating organized crime for years, criticized the current right-wing government and emphasized the historical connections between neo-fascism and the mafia. (…) Saviano was barely visible, surrounded by a crowd of attendees, although they struggled to hear him. Directly opposite the PEN Berlin booth, a meditative voice continuously offered tips on ‘Mindful Murder.'”LINK
Welt, Report by Marc Reichwein, October 20, 2024: “Friday afternoon in Hall 3.1. A crowd gathered around the PEN Berlin booth to see Roberto Saviano—accompanied by multiple bodyguards. (…) At the conclusion of the event, Saviano made a grim statement: ‘Our Italian present is also your German future. Right-wing German media will learn from Italian media.’ Afterward, Saviano was swarmed like a dissident by fans seeking statements, photos, and autographs.”LINK
Frankfurter Rundschau, Report by Florian Leclerc, October 20, 2024: “The discussion featuring Roberto Saviano and Deniz Yücel drew significant attention. At the book fair, the Italian author was honored with a standing ovation. (…) The Meloni government creates conditions that make collaboration convenient and opposition very uncomfortable, said Saviano. ‘In Italy, I am treated like a dissident.’ Yücel responded, calling the accusation of ‘nest-fouling’ baseless. ‘You are, in the best sense of the word, a patriot.’ Saviano assured the audience that despite the negative changes, he would remain in Italy.”LINK
Börsenblatt, Report by Sabine Cronau, October 21, 2024: “On Saturday at the fair, Roberto Saviano and Deniz Yücel shared the stage—both authors who have faced serious personal consequences for their work. (…) Critical intellectuals, Saviano said, are deliberately defamed by the far-right media in Italy. There are threats, even physical violence. (…) While Saviano refrained from drawing direct comparisons with countries like Turkey, where repression is part of daily life for many writers, he warned Germans: ‘Beware, this could happen to you if populists of any kind gain power.'”LINK
Corriere della Sera, Interview by Cristina Taglietti with Roberto Saviano, October 22, 2024: “La Germania guarda l’Italia come un laboratorio sinistro: un Paese con istituzioni fragili, con una burocrazia lenta e corrotta, con una affermazione precaria dei diritti, un certo tipo di giornalismo soggetto al ricatto della politica. Quindi come anticipatrice di tutte le contraddizioni e i pericoli della democrazia. La maggior parte degli scrittori italiani invitati hanno raccontato questa trasformazione in democratura. E se tutte le istituzioni che mi hanno invitato – il Pen, il Premio per la Pace assegnato ad Anne Applebaum, la Buchmesse, le televisioni – hanno cercato di capirlo, cos’altro deve accadere perché ce ne rendiamo conto noi?”LINK
Radio Dreyeckland, punk12 interview with Eva Menasse by Viktoria Balon, October 25, 2024: “We did what a PEN association is supposed to do: We provided writers with the space and platform to freely express themselves. Not in alignment with their government’s policies—because that’s not what they wanted. Some of those who appeared at our events were part of the official Italian delegation, while others were not. The most prominent among them, Roberto Saviano, whom you just saw here, was deliberately left out of the official delegation. That’s when we, as colleagues, stepped in and said: Let’s create the Italian program you’re missing.”AUDIO
Postscript to the Talk Series “You Can’t Say Anything These Days”
KNA, Interview by Joachim Heinz with Kristof Magnusson, published in the Evangelische Zeitung on October 7, 2024: [KNA:] “The internal struggles within the PEN writers’ association, which eventually led to the founding of PEN Berlin, may seem somewhat bewildering to outside observers.” – [Magnusson:] “As a founding member of PEN Berlin, I must disagree. I regularly attended meetings of the old PEN. Some authors felt a need to change things from within. But at some point, it became clear that this was no longer possible. PEN Berlin is an example of what culture can achieve. Before the state elections in eastern Germany, we held around 40 events to foster dialogue between the public and cultural figures. Many participants later said they appreciated being able to have a normal conversation without threats of disruptions or cancellations.”LINK
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Guest commentary by Ralf Schuler, October 7, 2024: “Recently, I sat on a panel hosted by PEN Berlin alongside FAZ colleague Patrick Bahners, discussing freedom of speech in Germany. (…) I argued that a culture of conformity in media, politics, and public discourse has led to only 40% of respondents in a survey saying they feel free to express their political opinions. My examples of job loss, cancellations, and social isolation did not convince Bahners, who dismissed them as ‘anecdotal evidence.’ He asserted that freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the Basic Law, exists and that those claiming otherwise simply cannot tolerate the normal pushback of a free society. What intrigued me was the underlying message: The majority is wrong.”LINK
Frankfurter Rundschau, Column by Harry Nutt, October 22, 2024: “Gottschalk, as gleaned from the show’s remnants, lamented at length about not being able to say everything anymore. This observation is far from exclusive to him. Various surveys have revealed that large segments of respondents admitted to being cautious about expressing their thoughts publicly. A writers’ organization like PEN Berlin hosted a series of 37 discussions titled ‘You Should Be Allowed to Say That’ before the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. So, is there some validity to the perception of restricted free speech?”LINK