Under the patronage of the Embassy of Ireland to Italy, we are proud to announce the second edition of
Italo-Irish Literature Exchange - Festival italo-irlandese with Catherine Dunne e John Lynch, and the contribution of Mimmo Paladino Nogarole Rocca - Verona, 3-6 maggio 2012
Italy and Ireland share a common catholic background. Moreover, their agricultural tradition turned
suddenly – yet in different historical moments and with different intensity – into an unexpected boost in
industrial, financial and urban development. In both countries, family plays a crucial role, more as an actual
institution than a mere small social community.
The stories of the two countries, though, have been artistically told in dramatically different ways.
The very first idea of a putting together people from both the two “cousin” countries sprang out of the blue,
as an unpredictable outcome of a creative writing course held by Catherine Dunne at the Irish Writers’
Centre in Dublin. One of the Italian promoters and organisers, Federica Sgaggio, deeply fond of Irish
literature and music, enjoyed Dunne’s lectures and conversations, and began to spread among her friends –
who were writers like her, or otherwise “into words” – the suggestions she got from the great Irish Author.
Why don’t provide other friends – journalists, actors, editors, or mere devotees of reading – with the chance
to improve their knowledge of Irish culture, books, authors, places, arts and history, then?
That was it. Thanks to commitment and passion, the Italo-Irish Literature Exchange first edition was born,
organised with the Irish Writers’ Centre and supported by the Italian Institute of Culture, Dublin.
It took place in Dublin, Sept. 2011.
‘It was a huge success,’ says Catherine Dunne. ‘We met people who, like us, were willing to share their
love for writing and reading. At the same time, the initiative raised Italy’s profile in Ireland, just like this
second edition will surely enhance Ireland’s image in Italy.’
Now it’s our turn: «ònoma» association and IWC and Culture Ireland , with the contribution of Il Circolo dei Lettori di Verona, and ScuolAleph, has organised the second edition of the initiative (http://italireland.net), which is going to take place from 3rd to 6th May in Nogarole Rocca (Verona) and Verona.
We are proud to welcome and host – along with Catherine Dunne, whose 8 novels are published in Italy by
Guanda – the actor and novelist John Lynch, from Northern Ireland (who was in In the Name of the Father,
Sliding Doors, Cal, Best...); the writer, critic, journalist and editor Anthony Glavin (who edited Nuala
O’Faolain New York Times No. 1 best-seller Are You Somebody?, published in Italy by Guanda); the two
acclaimed poets Niamh MacAlister (emerging poet for the 2010 Poetry Ireland Introduction Series) and
Celia de Fréine (a multi-awarded author who writes in Irish and English); the writer June Caldwell (winner
of the Irish Blog Awards, 2001), and Lia Mills, creative writing teacher and novelist whose work is published by Penguin Books.
“Any story is a million stories“ - “In ogni storia c’è un milione di storie” :: a Workshop
Would you like to write your own piece of fiction, poem, screenplay, or get started with your novel having
Catherine Dunne and John Lynch at your side? Well: this is exactly what you are supposed to do on Friday,
4th May, from 9.30 to 18, during the workshop “Any story is a million stories- In ogni storia c’è un milione
di storie”, our Festival’s central event (Nogarole Rocca, agriturismo Corte Castelletto). In order to make
everyone comfortable in using their own language, we will have the assistance of two professional
interpreters from the Italian Associazione nazionale interpreti di conferenza professionisti (Aiti).
This seminar is all about stories: how they can be dismantled and reassembled into new and unexpected
shapes and fashions; how they can change their own natures and rationales; how they can be manoeuvred
and pushed and pulled and stretched and shrinked and shaked, and torn, and finally rebuilt.
You will meet an actor (Fabio Bussotti, who will tell us the germinal story, from which anyone will extract
their own bits and pieces by asking him questions), a journalist (Luigi Grimaldi, who will drive the story
into a newspaper’s piece); a writer (Federica Sgaggio, searching for raw matter to put together into the short story she’s inclined to tell); an editor (Barbara Gozzi, whose peculiar task will be to discover stories and characters and settings cuddled up between the lines); and two Systemic psychoterapists from Centro
Milanese di Terapia della Famiglia (Massimo Giuliani) and Episteme, the Turin section of the CMTF,
(Teresa Arcelloni). Both of them will be tracking down key-points and keystones, to unravel threads and
enlighten the germinal story under a new spotlight.
Then, you will attend Fabio’s monologue, which is the outcome of the “contaminations” of the initial story.
Any of us will then have room to write their own story. We will afterward edit and collect them in an
anthology along with the stories written by the Irish authors and the teachers from ònoma.
In order to take part in this workshop you must sign in for membership at ònoma (150 eur.) by 30th April.
You may have to pay an additional fee (30 eur.) for later signing.
Since ònoma is a non-profit organisation, any fees is assigned to statutory activities.
Info and bookings: see below.
In the evening, a public reading will be held in Nogarole Rocca, Corte Bassa. (Free entry).
On Saturday morning (5th May) at Santa Maria in Chiavica church, Verona, we will host a meeting between
our Irish guests and a group of Italian professionals working in the publishing sector. In the afternoon, some
Italian emerging writers will join the morning group to animate a public conversation about public cultural
policies in the two countries. We will hear the actual voices of Irish institutional representatives who,
recently recorded in Dublin, tell us how things work in their country. (Free entry)
On Sunday morning (6th May), Catherine Dunne and her Irish colleagues will lead in English a three-hour
workshop of creative writing at ScuolAleph, Verona, via Monte Nero 1.
The third edition of Italo-Irish Literature Exchange is scheduled to take place at the end of September in
Dublin. Its focus will be on literature and music.
ònoma is planning a rich agenda of cultural exchanges, especially aimed at leading people through the knowledge of English language and Irish traditional music; it is also working on creative writing courses and a lot of further projects.
INFO AND CONTACTS:
Italireland - Un ponte tra Italia e Irlanda (http://italireland.net/)
Federica Sgaggio - mob. +39 348 2231106 fsgaggio@gmail.com
Barbara Gozzi - mob. +39 392 8055828 barbara.gozzi@gmail.com
Luigi Grimaldi - mob. +39 347 8455175 luibn@tiscali.it
Paola Francia - mob. +39 347 7201752 paola.francia@redpaper.it
Agriturismo Corte Castelletto
Via IX Maggio, 47 - 37060 Pradelle di Nogarole Rocca (Verona)
Tel. +39 045 7925300/7925294 - Fax. +39 045 7925296
info@cortecastelletto.com; http://www.cortecastelletto.com/
Moving On by Catherine Dunne
Front cover by Mimmo Paladino
Saturday 5th May at 8.30 p.m., at Santa Maria in Chiavica church, Verona, our Irish guests will meet their readers. We will launch Moving On, a luxury bilingual edition of an original short story by Catherine Dunne.
The front cover has been illustrated by the great Italian artist Mimmo Paladino. The book has been printed in limited and numbered edition. Both the artists generously donated their work to support the Italo-Irish Literature Exchange.
In the same evening, The Birkin Tree, a celebrated ensemble of Italian musicians, will play Irish traditional music.
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