Trespassing: the nights of Rome’s International Literature Festival are back

On 19, 20 and 21 June the Palatine Stadium will return to light up for the twenty-fifth edition of ‘Literature International Festival of Rome‘. The historic cultural event of the Capitoline summer – promoted by the Department of Culture and Coordination of initiatives attributable to the Day of Remembrance of Rome Capital, curated by the Cultural Activities Department, with the organizational coordination of Zètema Progetto Cultura, in collaboration with the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum – will this year be developed in three evenings, which will have, as in 2025, an extra Festival appendix on 18 July at the Idroscalo in Ostia, hosted by the Puntasacra Film Fest.

The title chosen for the 2026 edition of Letterature, edited for the first time by Silvia Barbagallo and Anna Voltaggio, is Trespass. An identity verb to be understood as crossing imposed limits, overcoming silences and transforming personal experience into a collective one, which from time to time will be expressed in a theme: ‘Who writes the world. Women and power dynamics’ on the first evening; ‘Upwind. Stories of resistance’ the second; ‘Invisible maps. The power of words’ the third

All guests expected on the Palatine stage

Leading voices from the international and Italian literary scene are expected at Letterature.

To interpret the themes of the evenings, Ahmet Altan, Gaetano Bruno, Emmanuel Carrère, Concita De Gregorio, Kiran Desai, Fumettibrutti, Maria Chiara Giannetta, Yaryna Grusha, Yuri Herrera, Rachel Kushner, Neri Marcorè, Vera Politkovskaja, Veronica Raimo, Pietro Sermonti, Neige Sinno, Widad Tamimi, Patrizia Valduga, Manuel Vilas, Samar will take to the stage of the Palatine Yazbek, Zerocalcare.

The new format and the opening with Alessandro Baricco

In search of a constant relationship with the contemporary, this year the event adds some in-depth interviews conducted by journalists and intellectuals to the traditional reading of unpublished texts. The literary authors will also be joined by interpreters of other artistic languages: the evenings will be enriched by images, videos and live musical performances by Chiara Civello, Gabriele Coen and Ziad Trabelsi, and Erica Mou.

Another novelty is the hosting of the three events entrusted to Marino Sinibaldi, Eva Giovannini and Pegah Moshir Pour, who will accompany the public along the narrative thread that links themes and guests.

Finally, on 17 June at 8.47pm, coinciding with sunset, La Tempesta Silenziosa – a collective reading format created by Alessandro Baricco which is attracting many participants in other places in the city – will act as the official forerunner of the Festival.

Useful information about the program

All events have free entry while seats last, starting at 9.00 pm and access to the Palatine Stadium from 8.30 pm. Information and details on the program are available on the official Culture Roma website.