20 DEC 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge What is the fascination of books that start from an image, a drawing, rather than words? How important are comics, manga and graphic novels in the Italian publishing market? What are the characteristics of the increasing number of publishing houses that put “illustrations” at the centre of their production? And how do illustrators and writers engage in dialogue? Leafing through the Alfabeto italiano, the page opens at the letter D, D as in Drawings, a big word, a kind of umbrella term under which many different books can easily be found: picture books for children and adults, comics, manga, graphic novels… It was almost a niche market until around twenty years ago but it is now one of the most important segments in the panorama of Italian publishing. With Massimiliano Clemente (Tunué) and Lorenzo Mattotti

20 DEC 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge How does an extra-small publishing house operate? What are the challenges that the many small and very small Italian publishers have to overcome to get themselves known by readers? And how much do these miniscule firms, which are often based in secluded locations outside the big cities, count in the publishing market? Leafing through the Alfabeto italiano, the pages opens at the letter X, X as in X-small, the abbreviation for the smallest sizes in garments with which we playfully describe the many miniscule publishing houses that characterise and enrich the Italian publishing panorama. With Alberto Casiraghi (Pulcinoelefante) and Silvia La Posta (Moscabianca)

5 DEC 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge How did audio books – sometimes jokingly called “books for ears” - come about? How were they adopted in Italy? And how can their great popularity in recent years be explained? Leafing through the Alfabeto italiano, the page opens at the letter O, O for Orecchie or Ears in English, which we have become accustomed to using not only to listen to conversations around us and the music we like, but also for experiencing a written text in a different way. With Carla Fiorentino (Emons) and Francesco Bono (Audible)

5 DEC 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge What does "new” mean when we talk about publishing? How long, that is, can a book be described as “new”? And what is the relationship between new books and those on the catalogue in a publisher’s production? But, above all, how important is it for a publishing house to offer innovative, original texts? Leafing through the Alfabeto italiano, the page opens at the letter N, N as in New, a central word in the lexicon of Italian publishing, and of any other country. Just enter any bookshop to see this confirmed: immediately, the attention is captured by books that have a band or a sticker with "New" written on it - a sort of implicit promise to the future reader: If you read me, you will find something that you don’t yet know. With Benedetta Centovalli and Maura Gancitano and Andrea Colamedici (Tlon)

21 NOV 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge Who are the readers that come under the editorial definition “young adults”? What do teens want to read in that most complicated period of life, adolescence? And how has this segment of Italian publishing changed in recent times? Leafing through the Alfabeto italiano, the page opens at the letter Y, Y for Young Adults, an English term frequently used in the publishing field to describe book production intended specifically for adolescents, texts centred on heroines and heroes struggling with their anxieties. Or adventures set in distant galaxies, at the centre of which a young girl or boy is ready to take on the monsters, fight them and rout them. With Mariagrazia Mazzitelli (Salani) and Nicola Galli Laforest (Hamelin - Xanadù)

21 NOV 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge How important are the classics in the backlists of publishing houses today? And, generally, how significant are they in the publishing market? Leafing through the Alfabeto Italiano, the page opens at the letter Z, Z for Zibaldone, Italian for Hotchpotch. A word that, in ancient times referred to a dish made up of many and varied ingredients, and is the word we have chosen, taking our cue from that great accumulation of intelligence that is Leopardi’s Zibaldone in order to discuss the classics and their role in contemporary publishing, attempting to go beyond the stereotypes, the platitudes. With Elisabetta Risari (Mondadori) and Federica Magro (BUR)

7 NOV 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge How did the cultural festivals held every year in so many Italian cities come about? Who are the people that attend them? What impact do they have on the places where they are held? Leafing through the Alfabeto Italiano, the page opens at the letter F, F for Festival. A word that, over the last twenty or thirty years, has gained increasing importance not only in the country’s cultural system but also in the social and economic life of many of Italy's cities and citizens. With Marzia Corraini (Festivalettatura) and Giulia Cogoli (Festival della Mente - Dialoghi di Pistoia)

7 NOV 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge How do those very special books intended for schools come about and how are they put together? What impact does scholastic publishing have on the Italian publishing market? And how do those increasingly numerous courses, where the creation of a book coincides with the subject being studied, really operate? Leafing through the Alfabeto Italiano, the page opens at the letter S, S for School. A word that plays a really central role when it comes to writing and publishing. With Bruno Mari (Giunti Scuola) and Marco Cassini (SUR)

20 OCT 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge How is the cover of a book created? How is it made up into pages? What is the relationship between the graphic designer and the publishing house? And, in general, what are editorial graphics? Leafing through the Alfabeto Italiano, the page opens at letter G, G for Graphics. A recent word, in use for around a hundred years, or even less, but that corresponds to a fundamental, even though sometimes neglected, aspect when talking about books. With Silvana Amato and Giacomo Callo.

20 OCT 2022 · A production of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and storielibere.fm, in partnership with cultural association Monteverdelegge Where does Italian publishing stand on the international market? How can Italian publishing houses reach out beyond the country’s borders? What are the relations between Italy and the world when it comes to books? Leafing through the letters of Alfabeto italiano, the page opens at the letter M: M for Mondo, World in English – a word that sooner or later all publishers must come to terms with and that, in certain situations, can be a goal, if not a mission. With Eva Ferri (E/O - Europeans Editions) and Paolo Primavera (Edicola Edizioni).