May 14th, 2026 — Current Writing Fellow in residence Mathias Énard attended the 37th Turin International Book Fair—Salone del Libro, the largest Italian book fair—delivering a talk and book signing on May 17th.
Mathias Énard presented the Italian edition of his Gregor von Rezzori Prize–winning book Mélancolie des confins: Nord, an introspective meditation on personal grief and European history following a narrator wandering through autumnal Berlin after visiting an ailing friend. In conversation with writer Marco Rossari, Mathias spoke—in ItaIian—not only about the book, but also about his relationship to language:
“Writing in a foreign language is like entering a house you know, but it’s pitch black inside.” Encounters like these reflect the international spirit of exchange that defines the Civitella community.
The fair featured numerous events celebrating the literature, culture, and authors of the “Paese ospite,” or Guest of Honor country of the fair, which ran from May 14th to 18th in Torino, Italy. While passing by the Greece stall, Civitella Residency Director Diego stumbled upon Greek writer Ersi Sotiropoulos (DG 2010)—a pleasant surprise that further reflects the international spirit of exchange that defines the Civitella community.
Learn more at www.salonelibro.it.
