The Week of the Italian Language in the World, under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, is promoted by the cultural and diplomatic network yearly, in the third week of October. It focuses on a theme that acts as the leitmotif of a vast cultural programme to promote the diffusion of the Italian language.
The initiative was launched in 2001 through the joint action of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Accademia della Crusca, which was subsequently joined by the Swiss Confederation, where Italian is one of the country’s official languages.
This success story is due to the growing engagement of the Italian and Italian-speaking communities abroad, along with local cultural institutions and a host of writers, poets, artists, teachers and academics who have passionately enlivened all the past editions by taking part in hundreds of conferences, meetings, lectures, refresher courses, thus opening a cultural and intercultural dialogue with other writers, artists, intellectuals and representatives of civil society in a large number of Countries.
The XXIII Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo is dedicated to the Italian language and sustainability: “L’italiano e la sostenibilità”, aiming at promoting the culture of sustainability around the world through the Italian language.
ICI London presents:
- Match Point Literary Prize 2023 – Award-giving ceremony. Monday 16 October, 6.30pm at ICI London. ICI London is pleased to host the award-giving ceremony of this literary prize by Il Circolo for unpublished short stories in Italian written by UK residents.
- The Book: a Renewable (re)source. Tuesday 17 October, 6.30pm at ICI London. A conversation on books, very special containers of words, images and ideas, with Susanna Mattiangeli, Children’s Laureate Italia and Joseph Coelho, Children’s Laureate UK. Moderated by Grazia Gotti (Accademia Drosselmeier – Alir (Associazione Librerie Indipendenti Ragazzi).
- The Hunger of Women by Marosia Castaldi (And Other Stories). Publication date: Tuesday 17 October. We are delighted to continue a collaboration with the publishing house And Other Stories, to help promoting the work of Italian authors that are new to the English-speaking public, and to announce the forthcoming publication of The Hunger of Women (La fame delle donne) by Marosia Castaldi, translated by Jamie Richards.
- Trent’anni di libri. Wednesday 18 October at the Embassy of Italy in London. An evening to celebrate Ornella Tarantola, co-hosted by ICI London and the Embassy of Italy in London.
- Parliamo di libri! Teenagers Book Club. Thursday 19 October, 5pm at ICI London. ICI London and SIAL.courses present a reading group for teenagers (aged 11-18). First appointment with writer Caterina Soffici and her book Nessuno può fermarmi. Moderated by Ernestina Meloni.
- Animated films as a force for environmental good. Tuesday 24 October, 6pm at ICI London. Screenings of environmental animated shorts and a panel discussion, plus a video interview with Italian renowned cartoon animator and film director Bruno Bozzetto. Co-organised with the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK.