“Land and Freedom”. This will be the title of the fifteenth edition of “Trame”, the Festival of books on the mafia which this year will celebrate fifteen years of civil, cultural and social commitment from 16 to 21 June 2026 in Lamezia Terme.
A theme which, quoting the 1995 film directed by Ken Loach, contains the profound meaning of the festival and which invites us to reflect on the earth as a space of belonging and rights, but also of conflict, oppression and resistance, today marked by the re-emergence of criminal phenomena that call into question freedom, self-determination and the future.
“In these fifteen years the festival has established itself and grown not only in Lamezia and Calabria, but as a point of reference for the anti-mafia in our country. The festival locations, spread across the city, and the Foundation’s activities throughout the year have multiplied, and the network of experiences, associations and friends of Trame who collaborate and participate in the festival, following the same path, has grown. An opportunity therefore to take stock and relaunch our experience, and to bring together all the protagonists of these fifteen years” – Thus Nuccio Iovene, president of the Trame ETS Foundation.
Over the course of the six days, the festival will offer a rich program of meetings and panels dedicated to the new forms of mafia control of the economy and work, the defense of free enterprise, the relationship between organized crime and territories, armed conflicts and their consequences on human rights. Ample space will also be dedicated to the role of information and journalism in combating systems of oppression, the protection of freedom of the press and the transformations of contemporary civil narrative.
Together with the literary meetings, Trame 2026 will offer moments of in-depth analysis and discussion on current and memory issues, with panels dedicated to the mafias in Italy and Europe, a focus on the territories symbolizing the criminal presence, initiatives linked to civic commitment and activism, as well as events on the occasion of World Refugee Day.
“It is a particular year, this of the fifteenth edition of Trame. A milestone that marks fifteen years of a festival that has become the point of reference for an entire community, in the area and throughout the country. It is a pride to be part of this family, which is a garrison of culture and transformation, of change, in a land that needs courage to find its freedom from the yoke of criminal powers. This is why we have chosen a clear title: Earth and freedom. Two words connected to each other. It applies to the Calabria, for Italy, for those places plagued by endless conflicts where the great powers feast on defenseless civilians.
It will be an edition where the identity of Trame’s history will once again be combined with the innovation of languages. We will tell the secrets of the new criminal powers, the power of the mafia organizations that we know well and their pervasiveness in society. We will analyze the most current social issues: from wars, precisely, to justice, to the right to public health, increasingly held hostage by private, if not criminal, interests.
Many books, podcasts, documentaries, films, shows, screenings, music. Through a multitude of languages we will try to describe the reality in which we live. To once again denounce the mafias and their accomplices, to support, as always, the families who have seen a loved one die at the hands of the clans. Because Trame has still been here for 15 years: always on the same side.” The message of Giovanni Tizian, artistic director of Plots. Festival of books on mafias.
The program is enriched with theatrical shows and performances that tell the story of the relationship between mafias, society and civil conscience, documentary screenings and journalistic investigations, as well as a musical proposal that will involve the public with events dedicated to creativity and social commitment. Ample space will also be dedicated to the visual arts, with photographic exhibitions, in a cultural journey that intertwines memory, information and contemporary languages.
Fifteen years after its birth, Trame confirms itself as an open space for dialogue and discussion, capable of connecting culture, information and civil commitment. An event that continues to question the present and build awareness tools, with the aim of strengthening a culture of legality and freedom based on knowledge and memory.