Autumn’s Literary Vibes: France’s Rentrée vs. Italy’s Cultural Awakening
Exploring the unique literary flavors of fall 2024...
Ahhhh, I was looking forward to this week’s post! Bonjour! It is 9.30 AM, and I find myself at Le Progrès, seated by a large window on a breezy, moody Montmartre morning. The wind sways the trees up by the Sacré-Cœur, setting the birds into a lively and chaotic dance outside. In short - it is a good morning.
Today, we’ll talk about la rentrée littéraire (read: Paris Fashion Week but for BOOKS), Italy’s and France’s main literary appointments, and what to read in the next few months. Or perhaps, if you are anything like me and would rather read classics and well-established names (wait, does that make me a snob? Or even worst, am I…MAINSTREAM? Quelle horreur!), the names to just keep an eye on, and see if they…stick.
Yes, I feel sort of guilty at times as I seem to lack Millennial impulses when it comes to my reading choices. (And I do not even bother with Gen-Z and BookTok). Who knows, maybe it is FOMO as I can’t chat about what is topical…Or actually, it might also be that I am writing one of those very wannabe pop-literature pieces.
(Believe you me, the irony is not lost on moi.)
1. Cultural Pulse of the Week
What's Making Waves This Week?
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French champagne makers act to protect seasonal workers from abuse
Champagne producers are stepping up to ensure seasonal workers aren't exploited. (France24)France’s new government under pressure from all sides
Facing challenges from social, economic, and immigration reforms, the new government is feeling the heat. (France24)How far right? France’s new center-right coalition under scrutiny
As France’s center-right coalition inches rightward, its future political direction sparks debate. (France24)Message in a bottle: A note from the past found in Northern France
A 200-year-old note in a bottle was discovered near Dieppe. OK, hardly news, but just how romantic…(BBC)And finally, on topic for today’s post: Magali Blandin case: Family outraged by new book from Caryl Férey
A new book about the Magali Blandin murder has left the victim's family furious, calling it an insult to their pain. (20Minutes)
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Severe storms lash northern Italy, leaving destruction in their wake
Violent storms and flooding hit northern Italy, damaging homes and infrastructure, with emergency services racing to respond. (BBC)Salvini grants freedom of conscience to party members on end-of-life issue
Matteo Salvini, leader of the Lega party, gives members the freedom to vote according to their conscience on Italy’s end-of-life legislation. (ANSA)Italy’s Constitutional Court examines law on abolition of abuse of office
The Italian Constitutional Court is reviewing the controversial legislation that seeks to abolish the crime of abuse of office. Thank God. (ANSA)Citizenship referendum in Italy: What’s at stake?
A new referendum proposal in Italy could reshape the country’s citizenship laws: the proposal is to reduce the residency requirement for immigrants to obtain citizenship from 10 to 5 years (and that extends to minor children), and could potentially impact around 2 million residents. (ANSA)And finally, on topic for today’s post: Federica Manzon wins the 2024 Premio Campiello
Federica Manzon, whom I saw at the Festivaletteratura in Mantova only a few weeks ago, takes home the prestigious 2024 Premio Campiello for her novel, marking a major highlight in Italy’s literary year. And one of the finalists, interestingly, is teaching my writing course! (Il Libraio)
2. Trends Watch
How to even start structuring a conversation about this whole thing? OK. Let’s start with a little background on French and Italian contemporary literature, and then go into the meat and juice of the French rentrée littéraire, which is an annual French literary event in the early fall season, marking the release of over 400 new books after the summer. It kicks off the highly anticipated literary season and serves as a major cultural moment, generating buzz for new works and discussions across the country. And then, let’s see what’s book-worthy in this Italian autunno.
Contemporary literature in France and Italy shares some compelling common threads, but the way these themes play out differs in telling ways. Both countries are deeply invested in personal narratives, with autofiction taking center stage. In France, writers like Annie Ernaux and Édouard Louis use their own lives to explore class, gender, and trauma, often through a political lens. Italy, with Elena Ferrante and Paolo Cognetti, leans more into local, intimate explorations—stories are steeped in regional identity and the specific emotional landscapes of places like Naples or the Italian Alps.
Both literary scenes also confront multiculturalism and the legacy of colonialism (authors like Leïla Slimani and Faïza Guène in France, Igiaba Scego in Italy).
Crime and noir fiction thrive in both countries, but here’s where a difference in tone shows up. In Italy, with authors like Roberto Saviano and Donato Carrisi, the focus is on organized crime and the darker side of society, often rooted in real-life corruption. French noir, while socially critical, tends to experiment more with narrative form and historical reimagining, as seen in the works of Laurent Binet.
For both, a blend of the personal and the societal…
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So, let’s start with the vibe of this year’s rentrée littéraire:
Imaginative fiction returns: There's a renewed focus on fantasy and speculative fiction as readers seek creative escapes from reality (Actualitté).
Understanding today's world: Many novels focus on current global issues such as climate change, politics, and social justice (Source).
Young women in the spotlight: Female protagonists, especially young girls, are at the center, exploring independence and identity (Source).
Dissecting love: This year sees many works exploring the nuances and complexities of love and human connections (Source).
Family and silence: Stories delve into the tension and unspoken dynamics within families, focusing on what’s left unsaid (Source).
What’s your vibe? Mine is definitely the number 5, but could look into the first and fourth, too. Will be soon coming up with my fall reading list, let’s see if any of these make the cut! Find a healthy selection of titles on those links 😉
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If both countries see a cultural "reawakening" post-summer, France’s rentrée is more centralized and structured, whereas Italy’s is tied to major prizes and localized literary gatherings.
The literary scene here revolves around the Premio Strega (awarded in the summer), Premio Campiello, and various autumn book festivals (like Festivaletteratura in Mantua). These festivals and awards create a comparable wave of excitement for new releases, especially in September and October.
On your radar, keep Alma by Federica Manzon, winner of the Premio Campiello 2024, and that is a standout among finalists like Antonio Franchini’s Il fuoco che ti porti dentro and Michele Mari’s Locus Desperatus. On the non-fiction front, Bassa Fedeltà explores the lo-fi music genre as a lens on capitalism, blending musical analysis with philosophical reflections, while Roberto Farneti's L’occhio della madre critiques contemporary art as a social tool (More here, Artribune). And of course, the title of the year is Età Fragile by Donatella di Pietrantonio, which took home the Premio Strega 2024 and is a story of family trauma woven into the natural landscapes of Abruzzo.
As a last note on the Italian side - I came across this article on Vogue Italia, which I found…uplifting. The article talks about a new anthology that shines a spotlight on Italian female writers, from famous names to lesser-known voices, showing how much they’ve contributed to the country’s literature. The collection celebrates their diverse perspectives across different time periods and aims to break down the traditionally male-dominated literary world. It highlights how these women have shaped Italy’s cultural and literary scene and calls for more recognition of their unique storytelling and experiences. I, as perhaps many from my generation, cannot recall EVER learning about an Italian female writer at school - something I am trying to educate myself on now, as an adult.
The two females we did speak about (TWO in years of school) were Simone Weil and Simone de Beauvoir - it surprises me that Italian contemporaries were not deemed as noteworthy.
3. Literary Prizes, Events & Festivals
And other Cultural Events You Can’t Miss
(and by the way: YES, I am slowly building a cultural calendar for the two countries! Keep an eye on the next few posts - and I will be building as I go along!)
Italy
Premio Strega (July): The most prestigious Italian literary prize.
Premio Campiello (September): Celebrating contemporary Italian fiction.
Premio Viareggio (August): Awards for fiction, poetry, and essays.
Premio Bagutta (January): One of Italy’s oldest literary awards - and apparently born at a restaurant table? OK, here from Wikipedia - just HOW LOVELY a story! (The Bagutta Prize is an Italian literary prize that is awarded annually to Italian writers. The prize originated among patrons of Milan's Bagutta Ristorante. The writer Riccardo Bacchelli discovered the restaurant and soon he regularly gathered numerous friends who would dine there together and discuss books. They began charging fines to the person who arrived last to an appointed meal, or who failed to appear.
At first, the funds so collected were spent on miscellaneous items, but on 11 November 1927, the group decided to use the funds to create a literary prize. They named it after the restaurant.)
Premio Napoli (December): Recognizing excellence in Italian fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.
Premio Bancarella (July): A prize judged by booksellers for popular books.
Premio Italo Calvino (April): Focuses on unpublished authors.
Festivaletteratura (September, Mantua): A top literary festival with international authors.
Salone Internazionale del Libro (May, Turin): Italy’s largest book fair.
Più Libri Più Liberi (December, Rome): A festival for independent publishers.
France
Rentrée Littéraire (September): The annual release of hundreds of new books.
Prix Goncourt (November): The most prestigious literary prize in France.
Prix Renaudot (November): Awarded alongside the Goncourt for fiction, and apparently started by a journalist to address the nepotism and insular decision-making practices of the Prix Goncourt - I am starting to feel like the birth of some of these prices deserves a post on its own?
Prix Femina (November): Chosen by an all-female jury, honoring French and foreign novels.
Prix Médicis (November): Awards fiction for creativity and originality.
Grand Prix du Roman de l'Académie Française (October): Recognizes novels of exceptional quality.
Prix Interallié (November): Initially created for journalists, it honors great fiction.
Festival du Livre de Paris (April, Paris): Major literary festival featuring French and international authors.
Festival d’Avignon (July): Known for theater but includes literary readings and discussions.
Le Marathon des Mots (June, Toulouse): A celebration of literature and storytelling.
Your turn!
Question: is the news roundup useful to you? It is to me, but who knows haha maybe it should have its own section - so you can immediately indulge in the cultural topic of the week? Just thinking…Feedback most welcomed!
Anything you want to share? What’s on your Fall Season Reading List?
See you next week - baci!