Nobel Winners at Turin International Book Fair

Nobel Winners at Turin International Book Fair

Svetlana Aleksievič and Wole Soyinka Among Speakers

Svetlana Aleksievič and Wole Soyinka are among a long list of authors who will be speakers at this year’s Turin International Book Fair, the 35th edition. Aleksievič won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1985, and Soyinka won in 1986. More on the speakers below, but first some information on the Festival itself. **Update: the event with Svetlana Aleksievič has been canceled but she will participate in the inauguration of the event on May 18.

One of Europe’s Largest Book Fairs

The Turin International Book Fair, or Salone del Libro, is one of Europe’s largest book fairs, and the largest book trade fair in Italy. Publishers big and small from all around Italy participate and last year 168,000 visitors passed through the doors. I haven’t had a chance to go since before Covid struck but have fond memories of attending in years past and this year I am ready to brave the crowds.

Through the Looking Glass (Attraverso lo specchio)

“Through the Looking Glass,” (“Attraverso lo specchio”) is the theme of this year’s event, which will be held May 18 – May 22, 2023. I discovered that tickets are now available online. The somewhat confusing name of “biglietto intero” (“intero” in Italian means “whole” or “entire”) refers to the one-day pass and the “abbonamento 5 giorni” is good for all five days of the festival. The fact that you can buy a ticket for any day of your choosing without locking yourself into a specific day is quite appealing, and a smart move on the part of the organizers.

Headliners

Festival headliners in recent years have included powerhouse writers and other artists such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Half of a Yellow Sun), Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer), and Werner Herzog, to name a few. In 2022 Annie Ernaux (The Years), who fewer than seven months later would win the Nobel Prize in Literature, made an appearance, as did Jennifer Egan; Cristina Morales; Jokha al-Harthi; and Joe R. Lansdale. Roberto Saviano, under police protection since October 2006 after the publication of his book Gomorrah, talked about his excellent graphic novel, Sono Ancora Vivo (I’m Still Alive).

Numerous Heavyhitters

The 2023 edition will host numerous heavyhitters as well. Having the chance to hear either of the two Nobel Prize Winners who are scheduled to speak at this year’s event, Svetlana Aleksievič (Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets) or Wole Soyinka (Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth), mentioned above, would already be a hugely satisfying experience. Aleksievič is a chronicler of conflict who has documented suffering in the former Soviet Union for more than 30 years, including those whose lives have been touched by war (The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II) and Chernobyl (Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster), to name a few. **As I noted above, after I booked the *last* reserved spot available for her event on Thursday, May 19, I received a notification that Svetlana Aleksievič‘s event had been canceled, with no reason given. Soyinka has created works in many forms, including novels, poems, plays, and essays. Considered an icon in Nigeria, he became known to a wider audience when he won the Nobel Prize in Literature the year after Aleksievič, in 1986. I find the juxtaposition between his autobiography recounting his childhood in a Yoruba village during World War II (Aké: The Years of Childhood) and The Unwomanly Face of War interesting.

Andrew Sean Greer, Julian Barnes

Other speakers who may entice me to buy the full-pass ticket include Andrew Sean Greer, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2018 for his 2017 novel Less. Entertaining, his satirical book includes Torino as one of the stops the protagonist makes as he wends his way through a literary tour. The follow-up, which I haven’t had a chance to read yet, Less is Lost, was published in 2022. Julian Barnes (Booker Prize winner for The Sense of an Ending back when the award still had “Man” attached to it, in 2011) has been selected as this year’s Mondello Prize winner and he will be speaking on May 18, 2023. On closer inspection, though, I have discovered that Andrew Sean Greer’s event is restricted to public school teachers and their classes as it is classified as one of the “school events.” Disappointing.

Peter Cameron

Peter Cameron (The City of Your Final Destination, What Happens at Night); French writer and filmmaker Virginie Despentes; Barry Gifford, who has written, among other things, The Wild Life of Sailor and Lula (oh, this makes me want to run and get my Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern fix with David Lynch’s screen adaptation, Wild at Heart); Spanish cartoonist and graphic novelist Paco Roca; and Tony Wheeler, who founded Lonely Planet, will all make appearances. In addition, local Turinese author, Alessandro Barbero, who won the prestigious Strega Prize in 1996, will stop off at his hometown festival, as will Melania Mazzucco, also a Strega Prize winner.

Federica Pellegrini

Two additional speakers (the complete schedule is still being finalized) who have written recent books include French performer Amanda Lear. Known as Salvador Dalí’s muse, she wrote about her relationship with the artist in her 1984 book, My Life with Dalí (Dalí apparently gave the book his stamp of approval). Last but not least, retired swimmer Federica Pellegrini, one of Italy’s most medaled athletes of all time and current world record holder in the 200-meter freestyle, has an autobiography scheduled to come out on May 16, 2023, just in time to be presented at the Festival. Oro (Gold) will be published by La Nave di Teseo, a publishing company founded by Umberto Eco, Elisabetta Sgarbi and Mario Andreose just before Eco’s death in 2016.

Logistics and Lingotto Fiere

Convenient to get to by subway, exit at the Lingotto Station on the Via Nizza side. You’ll see the Lingotto Fiere convention center in front of you as you come out of the metro station. You can also walk from the Lingotto train station (about a 25-minute walk). The convention center is next to the old Fiat factory (see below). You can read more about the history of the Lingotto complex here.

Lingotto Shopping Center, Pinacoteca Art Gallery, Pista 500

If you have time and energy, you can spend all day at the book fair, the Lingotto shopping center and food court next door to the convention center; the Pinacoteca Art Gallery; and the Pista 500 outdoor art space. The Pista 500 used to be the Fiat test track, and is on the roof of the former Lingotto factory. Tickets for the Pinacoteca and the Pista are sold separately, so if you are on a budget but still want to see some art and get a view of the city, the Pista tickets are the way to go.

Eataly

If you have even more energy, you can head down the street to the original Eataly. You can shop for upscale local products in the grocery store section, and eat in the various food court sections. Again, if you’re looking for a budget option but still want to go, remember that you can wander the aisles of the supermarket for free and the café (“bar” in Italian) has excellent espresso. When you enter, head towards your right, down the ramp, and find the café on your left. Remember, in Italy you want to stand at the counter to get the cheapest price (but the sit-down prices at the Eataly café are reasonable).

Book Fairs and Festivals – Are you a Fan?

What do you think about book fairs and festivals? Are you a fan? I love going but sometimes I wish access to events was a little bit easier on the pocketbook. I’m thinking about some of the book, literary, and writing festivals I have read about in the last year, NOT the Salone del Libro, which I think is excellent value for money. It’s true that holding events is expensive but I think it’s also true that for people who love reading and writing, it would be nice to be able to attend an event without it breaking the bank. Online access to recorded events, even for a fee, would be so appreciated. So many events I’m interested in take place at times which just don’t work for me and, unless a recording is made available, it’s simply impossible to take part. As we gain some distance from lockdown days, access to recorded events is diminishing, which I think is a pity.

Let me know in the comments below if you’re a fan of book fairs and festivals, and if you plan to go to any this year. I would love to hear from you.

Pulling at Threads is my occasional newsletter. It always accompanies my blog posts but I sometimes send infrequent updates on other goings on. If you want more of an “insider’s” view on what’s happening in my reading and writing life, you can sign up here.