ASTI
(Italy) -- May 10 – 15, 2005:
Passepartout: Extraordinary Travels into the Written Word (Passepartout:
Viaggi Straordinari nelle parole scritte ), a Festival of literature organised
by the Town Library.
The name “Passe partout” is
clearly taken from J. Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 days
and the Festival symbol, appropriately, is a hot air balloon. Strictly
speaking, this mean of transport is never mentioned in Verne’s masterpiece.
However, since in the early, celebrated film version of the book Mr. Fogg,
the hero, covers part of his travels transported in a balloon, he is commonly
associated with the spacecraft. And so it is that a hot air balloon –
suggesting coloured lightness, swiftness, a discreet and lofty view -
has become the Festival symbol.
“Travels into the written word” – but also into the
spoken, drawn, imagined words – as the present day parable of communication/communications,
whether they be linked to the arts or the market, as the expression of
individual needs or the reflection of a cultural industry.
The navigator on these immaterial courses will be the resourceful Mr.
Fogg himself. Day after day, he will plot the position, he will caution
against all sorts of traps and he will show possible places of landing
to anyone willing to follow him.
It is interesting to remember that the other meanings of the word ‘passepartout’
(master key; frame) agree very well with the Festival purpose: to be a
meeting point for different languages.
Passepartout
is to date the only literary festival in Italy which is entirely planned,
produced and run by a public library.
All
the events will take place in a spacious Renaissance building, the
Michelerio, ideally suited to a festival alternating talks and debates
with concerts and shows.
This year the Festival will host two exhibitions. The first one, a centenary
celebration of the death of J. Verne (1828 – 1905), consists of
rare Verne memorabilia presented by Piero Gondolo della Riva, well known
collectionist and vice-president of the Société Jules Verne
in Paris and of the Centre International Jules Verne in Amiens. Since
1962 Mr. Gondolo has devoted all his time to research on the writer and
on his publisher Hetzel. He also writes extensively about them on newspapers
and periodicals of many countries.
The second exhibition is about The World of Comics, a favourite theme.
The Festival, in fact, has paid constant attention to this mode of expression,
among others.
Last but not least, the Festival welcomes a Foreign Guest. This year,
many events will focus on Portugal and the literature of Portuguese speaking
countries.
- May
10 : a spectacular theatre show will open the Festival;
- May
11 - 14 :
- in
the mornings, creative writing project with high-school students. In
fact, these will be the final sessions of a year long project;
- 17
h : Passepartout junior; activities for primary school children;
- 18h,
21h : during these two sessions, writers, journalists from the press,
radio and television, film directors,cartoonists, comic stripes
writers will meet the public, talk about their work, answer questions;
- 22h
30 : concerts, shows.
It
is a Festival tradition to entertain guests and the audience with tea
and biscuits: five o’clock tea with Mr. Fogg, of course.
About
Asti. A pretty town, proud of its Roman origins and fine medieval
buildings, it is situaded on the banks of the River Tanaro, 40 minutes
away from Turin Airport. It is a reputed centre for Wine and Food tourism.
Press Office:
Address
: Biblioteca Astense, Corso V. Alfieri 375, 14100 Asti, Italy. |
