Literary festivals

A cross-section of extraordinary Sardinia, told through literary events that interweave spring, summer and autumn. Literary festivals accompany moments of relaxation during holidays on the coast or in pleasant inland locations. Very popular is the Isola delle Storie festival in the fairytale village of Gavoi in Barbagia. It is right here that since 2004, always on the first weekend of July, writers, actors, journalists, musicians and thousands of passionate readers meet with local residentes who like to share their traditions. “Stone” houses are open to guests, wooden balconies colored with flowers become stages, squares are arenas for the public and voices, music and readings are carried through the historic center. At the Isola delle Storie Festival, adults, teenagers and children are carried away by words and imagination, life stories and excerpts from works read by the authors themselves. But you won’t just be a spectator here: you will meet and hold dialogues directly with the authors, take part in animation activities and art exhibitions and immerse yourself in the traditional activities of the locals, who warmly welcome the public in the streets of their picturesque village. Over the years, the prestige of the festival has risen to national and international levels. In the town of Neoneli, in the Oristano region, the Licanias Festival takes place every year at the end of June. The festival of words, actions, art and people is the starting point for local cultural activities and initiatives. From morning to night, it is full of storytelling, laughter, good food and drinks, during which you can meet writers, poets, artists and musicians. In July, the night of the poets – La Notte dei Poetti – takes place in the tourist destination of Pula in the south of the island. The stage here is immersed in a charming environment between Capo Pula, the beach with the church of Sant’Efisio and the ruins of the Phoenician-Punic, then Roman city of Nora. Poetry and fiction are accompanied by theatre, music and dance performances by great domestic and foreign authors. After forty years of continuous activity, the event has gained national prestige and arouses the interest of many tourists. In the most authentic part of the island, in the towns of Jerzu and Ulassai in wild Ogliastra, the theater Festival dei Tacchi takes place at the beginning of August. The last, 24th edition was a showcase of contemporary theatre, organized by Cada Die Teatro. Every edition is always enriched with initiatives and activities that involve the audience in a theatrical experience and in the pure nature of the Tacchi d’Ogliastra. The program includes, for example, a yoga course, guided excursions to the Sa Tappara canyon and the Su Marmuri textile cooperative, walks to discover medicinal herbs, a day dedicated to cleaning the forest in collaboration with the Forestas, as well as book presentations by authors directly from Jerzu and Ulassai. There is always a room for good food and wine, with the possibility of discovering the secrets of Cannonau in a local winery. The Marina Café Noir Festival – Festival of Applied Literature, historically the first literary festival in Sardinia, was founded in the historic Marina district of Cagliari in 2003, on the initiative of a group of readers and cultural activists, which later became the Chourmo Cultural Association. Marina Café Noir set up out of a desire to organize a festival celebrating people’s shared knowledge, the first ingredient of which is the stories we create ourselves and bring back to the streets, squares, bars, shops, craft workshops and in general between people. A busy street, popular and free festival tries to show that culture and literature are certainly not far from everyday life and their celebration can, and must, be part of it. The attention of the festival is given mainly to original and unpublished authors and stories that are performed and read on stage. The festival consists of debates, meetings, screenings, concerts, shows, workshops, exhibitions, installations and cooking in the square. The ceremonial atmosphere is focused at all age groups and is a combination of culture and folk festivity. Marina Café Noir takes place every year at the beginning of September. Among the most frequently discussed topics are anthropology, history, politics, geography or art, and current topics such as migration, human and civil rights, crime or ecological sustainability also remain in the spotlight. Cabudanne de Sos Poetas Festival – held annually on the first weekend of September in Seneghe, a town of approximately 1,800 inhabitants in central-western Sardinia, the festival mainly promotes poetry in the Sardinian language. It was founded in 2005 from the will of the local city administration, the support of the Sardinian region and the creative contribution of some Sardinian writers. In addition to supporting domestic poetry, the task of the festival is also to support and use the Sardinian language in the latest forms of literature and music for young people, for example through improvised artist competitions.