Mandas, the Lawrence Festival wins over the public

The DH Lawrence International Travel Literature Festival continues to draw large audiences to Mandas.

This year's format, combining literature, memory, and raising awareness of current affairs and health issues, is proving particularly popular. Yesterday, the spotlight was on history and identity with two events dedicated to the past and the legacy it has left on the region. The featured events were Fausto Orrù, author of the children's novel "I guardiani di Nurakea," and Umberto Oppus, who presented "I paesi del Ducato di Mandas."

Enrico Trogu, director of the State Archives of Cagliari, will be in conversation with the authors. This double event brought the community's historical and cultural heritage back to the forefront, through books and the stories of places. Different stories, yet united by the thread of memory and the importance of preserving and passing on testimonies of the past.

The program continues today, Wednesday, September 30th, with a shift in focus. The focus will be on themes relevant to current affairs and contemporary sensibilities. The program features "Femmenella" by Davide Piras and "Innocenza in catene" by Tore Quartu. At the end of the evening, the 2026 Città di Mandas Award will be presented, one of the Festival's most anticipated events.

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 1st at 5 pm, there will be another meeting in the evocative setting of the Mandas railway station, aboard the historic 1913 Bauchiero carriage. The special guest will be Gianluca Scroccu , professor of contemporary history and author of numerous studies on Italian political history, who will present the book "Sandro Pertini", published by Salerno Editrice.

The seven-year term of the partisan president entered the myth and memory of Italians during the era of terrorism because he defended the role of democratic institutions with courage and authority. He became the universal grandfather of the Republic, the "most beloved president," the pure partisan, and the last honest man before the flood. Gianluca Scroccu's book restores Pertini to history, frees him from nostalgia, and tells a story more compelling than legend. Tomorrow's event represents another piece of a Festival that continues to intertwine the narrative of the past with the questions of the present.