A series of events is being launched across Italy to celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of the legendary Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri on September 6th. The commemorations, organized by the Andrea Camilleri Fund—chaired by his daughter Andreina—and the National Camilleri 100 Committee, chaired by Felice Laudadio, will include book releases, meetings, concerts, awards, conferences, and performances centered on the personality and work of the author.
Camilleri, a titan of Italian literature and publishing whose books have sold over 30 million copies and been translated into nearly 40 languages, also left an indelible mark on television history through the immensely popular adaptations of his Inspector Montalbano novels.
The program of events, supported by main sponsor Siae and main media partner Rai, will run through September and October. Key events include a screening in Rome of Camilleri’s final theatrical work, “Conversazione su Tiresia,” at the Casa del Cinema on September 6th. The following week, on September 14th, the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone will host “Andrea Camilleri, nascita di una leggenda” (The Birth of a Legend), a reading of his early works by twelve of his former acting students.
Other highlights include the inaugural Andrea Camilleri-New Narrators Award at Rome’s Teatro Quirino on September 20th and a major international conference, “La narrativa di Camilleri,” at the Treccani Encyclopedia headquarters on October 8th and 9th.
A significant exhibition, “Scene, voci, accenti, scritture: il teatro infinito di Andrea Camilleri” (Scenes, Voices, Accents, Writings: The Infinite Theatre of Andrea Camilleri), will be mounted at Palazzo Firenze by the Dante Alighieri Society from October 22nd to November 29th. The show promises an immersive journey through the author’s polycreative genius, with a special focus on his revolutionary use of language. Further events are scheduled in Taormina and Bari, ensuring a national celebration worthy of the beloved author’s centenary.