The Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano will appear at the Frankfurt book fair this week despite being snubbed by the organisers of the official Italian delegation, setting the scene for a clash between the country’s far-right government and its most prominent writers.
Saviano, one of Italy’s bestselling living writers and an ardent critic of the far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, was absent from the initial lineup of 100 authors representing Italy, this year’s guest of honour, when it was announced in May.
The delegation organiser, Mauro Mazza, a conservative journalist, said the non-inclusion was not so much a question of discrimination as of giving other writers a moment in the limelight.
But 41 authors who signed a letter of protest in June said Saviano’s exclusion followed a pattern whereby the government was projecting a consensual image to the rest of the world while cracking down on artistic freedom at home, “through more or less explicit forms of censorship”.
Several other prominent Italian authors, such as Paolo Giordano and Antonio Scurati, subsequently cancelled their appearance or declined to represent their country at Frankfurt in an official capacity.
At the book fair, which runs from 16-20 October, a guest country or region is invited every year to showcase its culture, and given a free hand to curate a series of readings and panel debates. Italy is this year’s guest of honour for the first time since the scheme’s inaugural year in 1988.
The theme of the Italian programme is “Rooted in the Future”, with panel discussions on relatively apolitical subjects such as “The Scent of Flowers and Kisses”.
When Italy’s culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, cuts a ribbon to formally open the Italian stand on Wednesday, however, some of the most vocal critics of his government’s policies will appear at parallel events.
Giordano, Scurati and Francesca Melandri will speak on a concurrent panel organised by PEN Berlin called “Rooted in the Present”, while Saviano will speak on stage on Friday and Saturday.
The anti-mafia author was sued in 2023 for calling Meloni “a bastard” over her immigration policies and subsequently fined €1,000 (£865).
“Roberto Saviano is the most famous Italian writer in the world,” the Austrian author and PEN Berlin spokesperson, Eva Menasse, said. “By not inviting him to the Frankfurt book fair the Italian government has only managed to put a brighter spotlight on its illiberal practices.”
In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday, Saviano said he was travelling to Frankfurt after being personally invited by the fair’s director, Jürgen Boos.
“I don’t think my presence in Frankfurt is a victory but a form of resistance,” the author said. “The book fair has activated a democratic reflex.”
The Frankfurt book fair is no stranger to controversies. In 2009 several members of the delegation of guest country China left the auditorium when government critics Bei Ling and Dai Qing took the microphone to speak. Both authors had been uninvited from the fair after pressure from Chinese authorities but travelled to Germany anyway.
Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano (Pan Macmillan, £10.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
