Speakers

Philosopher and historian of African culture, over the years he has been involved in literature and the philosophy of language as well as racism, identity and moral theory, from the perspective of a liberal humanism and a cosmopolitan spirit.

Laurie Anderson, born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois in 1947, is a multimedia artist, musician, and performer. She rose to international fame with O Superman (1981) and has released experimental albums such as Big Science, Mister Heartbreak, and Landfall (with Kronos Quartet).

Nicole Krauss, born in New York in 1974, is a novelist and short story writer. She debuted with Man Walks into a Room(2002), followed by The History of Love (2005), Great House (2010), and Forest Dark (2017). In 2020, she published the story collection To Be a Man, which won the Wingate Literary Prize.

Gabriele Salvatores, born in Naples in 1950, is a film director and screenwriter. After his early career at the Teatro dell’Elfo, he made his cinematic debut with Dream of a Summer Night (1983).

Siri Hustvedt, born in 1955 in Northfield, Minnesota, is a novelist and essayist. Her fiction includes What I Loved (2003), The Sorrows of an American (2008), The Blazing World (2014), and several essay collections.

Pupi Avati, born in Bologna in 1938, is a film director, screenwriter, and producer. His career spans over five decades, marked by a wide range of genres.

Jonathan Safran Foer, born in Washington, D.C. in 1977, is a novelist, short story writer, and essayist. He debuted in 2002 with Everything Is Illuminated, followed by Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2005) and Here I Am (2016).

Garth Risk Hallberg, born in Louisiana in 1978, debuted with A Field Guide to the North American Family (2007) and achieved international recognition with City on Fire (2015), a multi-character novel set in 1970s New York City.

Joshua Cohen, born in Atlantic City in 1980, is a novelist, essayist, and critic. He is the author of Witz (2010), Book of Numbers (2015), and Moving Kings (2017).

Nicola Lagioia, born in Bari in 1973, debuted with the novel Tre sistemi per sbarazzarsi di Tolstoj (2001), followed by Occidente per principianti and Riportando tutto a casa (Viareggio Prize 2010).