NaxosLegge, in September a month of events with the Festival of Storytelling, reading and books. On stage Tolkien, Manzoni and Testori

John

By John

Do. But also produce, compose, invent. Create from nothing. This is the theme of the 13th edition of “NaxosLegge, Festival of Storytelling, reading and books” (1 September – 1 October 2023) which, with the artistic direction of Fulvia Toscanoreturns again this year at the end of summer with dozens of appointments. Made with the support of the Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park, the University of Messina – Cospecs DAMS, Ersu and Cepell (Center for Books and Culture, MIC institute) , Naxos law from Giardini Naxos, where most of the meetings are concentrated, will also touch the cities of Messina, Catania, Palermo and again Augusta, Letojanni, Paternò, Francavilla di Sicilia.

“NaxosLegge is a widespread festival – he commented Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, Regional Councilor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity – and strongly linked to the cultural roots of Giardini Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily, in whose wake for thirteen years it has been developing meetings and debates on literature, philosophy, history, ethics and contemporary thought. A deeply rooted and shared project, both with the Naxos Taormina Park which hosts many meetings and with the world of schools”.

An entire month-long journey with literary events, debates, recitals and theatrical performances animated by an indefatigable desire to “make and create from nothing”. It is no coincidence that the 2023 manifesto – a sculpture by Stephanie Pennacchio – draws on and quotes ancient Greek, where the word “do” (poièin) originates from poièsis (poetry) and alludes to the most noble, almost divine, creative act: an exclusive privilege of the human being. Fulvia Toscano explains: “More and more urgent, our times ask us the question “what to do?” In other words, it requires us to participate, an unavoidable assumption of responsibility, not only in terms of personal choices, but above all of community, political and political goals. From here, doing concerns our relationship with time, history, memory: a doing that is proposed as a vision of the future”.

Three authors are the protagonists of the literary section: Manzoni, Tolkien and Giovanni Testori of which 2023 celebrates important anniversaries. They will be remembered by scholars and writers such as Angelo Cappello and Luciano Lanna for Cepell, and Oronzo Cilli among the top Italian experts on the author of “The Lord of the Rings”; as Alexander Gnocchi, director of the cultural pages of Il Giornale, author of an essay that sheds light on the journalist Testori. Finally from Emmanuel Fontana author of the novel “La correctress” dedicated to the woman who, in the shadows, helped Manzoni to correct the final draft of the “Promessi Sposi”, a sort of editor ante litteram.

The XIII edition of NaxosLegge will be opened on 1 September by the Promoters of Culture Award assigned to personalities who have distinguished themselves in the world of culture: AAntonio Mannino, Edoardo Sylos Labini, Michela Marullo Stagno d’Alcontres, Fabio Meloni, Giuseppe Parlato, Vito Clemente, Claudio Collovà, Paolo Valentino, Costanza and Vicky Di Quattro Elio Sanfilippo and Maurizio Scaglione and, in memory, Sergio Claudio Perroni.

To follow, in collaboration with the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park, directed by Gabriella Tiganoit will be the turn of Communicating the Ancient Award which will involve Italian and foreign protagonists of the study and dissemination of the ancient world whose prestigious names, of international level, will be announced by the management of the Park in the coming weeks. The whole program on www.naxoslegge.com