After the great public participation at the film previews, the San Gavino Monreale Literary Festival. This will be the first of three days dedicated to books, music, meetings, and performances. The events will be hosted in the large courtyard of Casa Mereu, with diversions between the street of murals and the Civic Market: a way to connect the community to the beauty of encounters and dialogue, listening and discovery.

For this first day, thanks to Annalisa Cuzzocrea, we journey through the 20th century with the remarkable story of Miriam Mafai: partisan, journalist, and protagonist of pivotal battles for women's freedom and emancipation. We then discuss education at a highly charged moment for public opinion, with Emiliano Sbaraglia and his firsthand experience as a teacher in one of Italy's most challenging suburbs: Tor Bella Monaca. Finally, we delve into pop culture with a captivating exploration of the world of superheroes, courtesy of Riccardo Atzeni and Arrogalla. The grand finale features one of the key Italian singer-songwriters of this century: Dente, for a concert-meeting of literature and beautiful songs," comments artistic director Nicola Muscas.

The 2026 San Gavino Monreale Literary Festival will kick off at 7:00 p.m. on Via dei Murales with a traveling concert by the San Gavino Band, which will travel through the town's streets to accompany the community of readers to the square. The first day's theme will be a short popular lecture by the Brigata Dantesca collective on " Music in Paradise ."

Next up is literature. In the courtyard of Casa Mereu, starting at 7:30 PM, one of Italy's most authoritative and respected journalists, Annalisa Cuzzocrea, will present " And Never Escape ." A book that traces the thread of the last century, following the footsteps of an illustrious colleague, Miriam Mafai, delving into its intimate and secret pages, and retracing the scars of love and wounds. Francesca Matta, a journalist for Cagliari Today, will lead the conversation.

The 8:15 pm meetings are a journey through distant and diverse places, which share the theme of marginalization. Emiliano Sbaraglia, writer and professor, presents " Reading Dante in Tor Bella Monaca ": a novel that speaks openly about Italian schools in frontier areas, about young people, and about the power of a timeless author like Dante. He will be in conversation with the Brigata Dantesca collective. At 9 pm, there will be space for short stories with soundtracks. The first guest will be Riccardo Atzeni, illustrator and narrator, who will be performing at the festival: Super Costumini: a lesson/show that explores the world of superheroes. The story will be accompanied by Arrogalla's musical research, transforming the show into an immersive experience.

Giuseppe Peveri, aka Dente , will kick off the Talk & Music section starting at 10 pm: one of the most popular singer-songwriters and musicians on the Italian indie-pop and singer-songwriter scene will give a short, informal lesson on singer-songwriter music, novels, and the universe for about an hour, together with artistic director Nicola Muscas.

For those who believe that "sleep is a foolishness that robs time of joy"—as Cesare Pavese wrote—starting 11:15 p.m., a festive moment will take place in front of the Civic Market, allowing you to reflect on the day's words without sacrificing great literature. Actress Michela Atzeni will read a themed passage from the books of Grazia Deledda, one hundred years after her Nobel Prize. The first evening will feature the pages of " Elias Portolu ," a DJ set by Trasimeno, and a visual display by Simone Mura.

There will also be recreational opportunities for children, teenagers, and adults with workshops. The event begins at 5 pm with "Parole Cantate" by Renzo Cugis (a song and nursery rhyme workshop, for ages 6 to 12), followed at 6 pm by Riccardo Atzeni's presentation of "Disegnare partendo da zero" (illustration, for ages 15 to 99).

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