Speakers

A. M. Homes, born in 1961, is an American writer and screenwriter. She debuted at the age of 19 with the novel Jack (1989), followed by In a Country of Mothers, The End of Alice, Music for Torching, This Book Will Save Your Life, and May We Be Forgiven, winner of the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Benjamin Taylor, born in 1952, is an American writer, critic, and university professor. He debuted with the novel Tales Out of School (1995), followed by The Book of Getting Even (2008).

Alessandro Piperno, born in Rome in 1972, is a novelist, essayist, and literary critic. He debuted in 2005 with Con le peggiori intenzioni, an editorial success and finalist for the Premio Viareggio.

Richard Ford, born in 1944 in Jackson, Mississippi, is considered one of the greatest contemporary American writers. With Independence Day (1995; Feltrinelli, 1996), he won the two most prestigious American literary awards, the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

Luciano Violante, born in 1941, is a jurist, university professor, and politician. A former magistrate, he participated in trials against terrorism in the 1970s. In 2024, he released “Ma io ti ho sempre salvato. La maschera della morte e il nomos della vita.”

Pier Ferdinando Casini, born in 1955, is an Italian politician. First elected to the Camera dei Deputati in 1983, he served as Presidente della Camera from 2001 to 2006.

Roberto Andò, born in Palermo in 1959, is a film director, screenwriter, and writer. After working with Francesco Rosi, Federico Fellini, and Michael Cimino, he debuted as a director with the documentary Diario senza date (1995) and the feature film Il manoscritto del principe (2000).

Isabella Rossellini, born in 1952, is an Italian-American actress and director. After beginning her career as a model and the face of Lancôme, she gained international fame with Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990), both directed by David Lynch. She has worked with directors such as Robert Zemeckis, Peter Weir, Guy Maddin, and Abel Ferrara.

Maurizio Molinari, born in Rome in 1964, is a journalist and essayist. He began his career at La Voce Repubblicana in 1984 and joined La Stampa in 1997, where he served as correspondent from Brussels, New York, and Jerusalem.

Stefano Albertini is Director of the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò and Professor in the Department of Italian Studies at NYU. His work focuses on Italian literature, politics, culture, and cinema.