"More free books," children's publishing becomes big – Repubblica.it

More volumes sold, an increase in overall turnover: it opened with a positive note More books More free, the small and medium fair going on in Rome until December 8th. The figures of the IEA, the Italian association of publishers, which, as every year, are released at the opening of the event, speak of a book market that in general grew in the first 11 months of 2019 by 3.7%, while the "small "Have seen their slice increase compared to the total of 6%, almost double. In short, the sector is vital, but there is a lot of work to be done to increase the number of readers, involve young people and show how the book is, together with information, the cornerstone of a society of citizens, precisely, free.

Thus, while the undersecretary of publishing Andrea Martella announces, after the dissemination of the OECD data on reading and school that the educational interventions on school age will be strengthened, on the same day the five of the Strega Award Girls and Boys are announced. Born in 2016 as a part of literary recognition destined for adult fiction, it awards each year the narrative for children in two categories, corresponding to different age groups (+6 and +11).Among the books selected by the jury, consisting of 2,000 students between 6 and 15 years of schools, reading groups and libraries, there are Italian and foreign titles translated into our country, stories of courageous girls (roars, by Daniela Caruggi e Captain Rosalie by Timothee De Fombelle, for example), conflicts with parents (Breathe with me, by Raffaella Romagnolo), of moments that change history (The age of dreams by Annelise Heurtier on the struggle for civil rights in the southern United States).

Our space, the Arena Robinson, has also inaugurated its program, ranging from youthful languages ​​to recent history. Thus, Zita Dazzi with Luca Valtorta talked about the "Generazione trap", and Bruno Tognolini, well-known "thread-cutter" with a long experience as author of Melevisione and to his credit numerous volumes of nursery rhymes (the last, Rimes riddles, published by Fanucci, has just come out in the bookshop), of the innate and natural ability of the little ones to produce beauty through rhymes.

The political scientist Yves Menyhe discussed with Anais Ginori the concept of democracy and its evolution and that of "people" as a deceptive tool, used by the politics that claim to speak in his stead, while the German Thomas Brussig talked to Tonia Mastrobuoni about the recent history of Germany , center of Europe and pivotal country for its balance.

The history of the twentieth century was also discussed with Ettore Boffano, interviewed by Paolo Griseri on Turin '69 (Laterza, written by Boffano with Salvatore Tropea) which recalls the great season of workers' struggles in the Turin of Fiat; at the end of the day, Luciano Mecacci hja presented his Besprizornye. Stray children in Soviet Russia (1917-1935) with Vittorio Lingiardi and Gregorio Botta.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 APPOINTMENTS

Tomorrow, it continues, at the Robinson Arena and beyond. Among the events not to be missed, at 12.30 (Caffe letterario Rai) the director of Republic Carlo Verdelli, with Michele Serra and Riccardo Luna, debates on the "Future of news", while in Sala Nuvola (1.15 pm) there is the "strange encounter" between Max Pezzali and Zerocalcare. And then, all the events of the Robinson Arena: from 11, in the morning, journalism lessons with high school students; at 2pm Franco Faggiani, with Marco Patucchi, tells The guardian of the cherry hill, inspired by the true story of the Olympic marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri. At 15 Anna Maria Patti, who created the @Casalettori account on Twitter, meets literary bloggers on the topic of reading at the time of social networks; at 4 pm the writer Erri De Luca, with Gregorio Botta, traces the boundaries of his personal geography of the contemporary world; at 5pm Luigi Mascilli Migliorini and Luca Iacoboni of Greenpeace, with Simonetta Fiori, talk about the very heartfelt theme of the climate that "changes history". It closes at 6 pm: Melania Mazzucco, with Dario Pappalardo, describes her ideal "Picture Gallery of Europe", telling the works that have contributed to creating our imaginary of Europeans.