AUTHORS
La LEGGEREzza del Male. Navigare tra le emozioni
Emotional Education
3rd Edition – Caresses and Scars
Samatzai, September–November 2025
FRIDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2025
Claudia Musio
Claudia Musio was born in Serrenti (Cagliari) in August 1981. She graduated in Electrical Engineering and earned a PhD in Electronic and Computer Engineering in 2016. She currently works at the University of Cagliari as an IT officer. Her published novels to date are: Streghe (Aipsa, 2002); La Sposa di Tutankhamon (Arkadia Editore, 2012, translated in Spain by Edizioni Boveda as La esposa de Tutankhamon); Il profumo della mimosa (Edizioni La Zattera, 2017; first prize in the Published Fiction section of the Premio Il Litorale 2019); Farfalle nel vento (Edizioni La Zattera, 2020; special mention in the Published Fiction section of the Premio Il Litorale 2022); Cosa resta di me (Edizioni La Zattera, 2025).
Katia Fundarò
Born in Sardinia in 1970, Katia Fundarò is a teacher who has worked in various regions of Italy and in Germany. She currently lives between Cagliari and Munich. She has published short stories with Algra Editore, L’Erudita (Giulio Perrone Editore), and Janus Editore. Familienalbum is her debut novel and was a contender for the 2025 Premio Strega.
SATURDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2025
Francesca Spanu
Francesca Spanu lives between San Gavino Monreale (where she was born in 1976) and Cagliari. She is a lawyer and also works as a legal consultant for the anti-violence center “Feminas.” Since 2019, she has directed the Monreale Literary Festival promoted by the Municipality of San Gavino. She collaborates with various regional and national festivals. Her debut novel, Dentro la borsa (La Zattera), was published in 2019.
Cecilia Lavatore
Cecilia Lavatore writes and performs her own texts. A Poetry Slam champion, she teaches Literature in high schools and collaborates with the daily newspaper Il Messaggero. Her work tells stories of courageous lives and meaningful testimonies in the fight against social injustice, alongside more intimate, autobiographical pieces. She has published four short story collections and two novels, warmly received by critics and readers.
With the show LIBERA, written and directed together with Rome-based singer-songwriter La Noce, she won the 2025 SIAE Per chi crea award and the NUOVO IMAIE award. The artists have been performing throughout Italy for over a year.
Recently, she launched two new artistic projects: Sisters in Poetry, an all-female quartet blending live music and performance poetry with Iris Basilicata, Sara Zacchi, and Federica Patera; and Love like a poet, her solo poetry performance.
She can’t sew.
FRIDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2025
Francesca Safina
A psychologist and psychotherapist, Francesca Safina has worked as a clinician in her private practice near Florence for over fifteen years, helping people find new inner paths to live more fulfilling lives. She also provides training for adults and young people and shares educational content on her Instagram page la.psaico. In September 2024 she made her debut with the novel Cambio Vita Cercasi, published by Garzanti—a funny and profound story about the search for oneself.
Irene Monge
Irene Monge earned her degree in Communication Sciences at the University of Verona and continued her studies in philosophy with a master’s degree in Philosophical Sciences, specializing in narrative medicine and bibliotherapy. She also completed professional development courses in children’s and young adult literature, and advanced training in Play Therapy and therapeutic play.
Her professional path is one of ongoing training, especially in the social field, focusing on care, support, and education. She obtained a first-level Master’s diploma in Educational Counseling and a second-level Master’s in Integrated Psychopedagogy. Her studies and research grew out of her philosophical background, with the aim of combining the Socratic dialogue approach with the psychodynamic process of bibliotherapy.
This work—spanning about ten years—led her to develop a new line of thought that can be framed within the “philosophy of storytelling,” a subject she has taught since 2021 at the University of Verona within the first-level Master’s program in Bibliotherapy. A narrative philosopher and psychopedagogical counselor, she works in reading pedagogy and helping relationships, as well as coordination and community welfare, offering care across all stages of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
She is co-founder, board member, and treasurer of Italy’s first professional association for Bibliotherapy and Poetry Therapy. Throughout her career she has remained actively involved in fieldwork, while continuing theoretical and research reflection. In recent years she has also contributed to the organization and concept of the arts-and-literature competition Con Ali di Carta. La narrazione che cura in Pediatric Unit C of the University Hospital of Verona. The competition is aimed at children and teenagers receiving care in pediatric specialties, and is also open to the wider community and schools, with the goal of creating dialogue around illness—especially with the school world—through inclusion and acceptance of diversity, as well as a form of preventive pedagogical approach to health.
Ilenia Zedda
Born in 1990, Ilenia Zedda is a writer and copywriter. She graduated from the Scuola Holden with a Master’s in Narrative Techniques. She has collaborated with the Turin International Book Fair and RAI Torino, and with L’Unione Sarda in the Culture and Entertainment newsroom. She published her debut novel Nàccheras with DeAgostini and the short story Anna in the anthology Giallo Sardo (Piemme). Her latest novel, Se mi guardo da dentro, was published in September 2024 by Salani. In 2020 she won the “Best New Talent in Italian Literature” award.
SATURDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2025
Eva Rasano
Eva Rasano was born in Cagliari, where she lives and works. She has written and illustrated various books for Italian and international publishers. In 2015 she won the national Nati per leggere/Nati per la musica award (Born with Books section) with Lupo in versi (Bacchilega Junior). The app for the book Con le orecchie di Lupo (Bacchilega Junior/Smallbytesdigital) received a special mention at the Bologna Ragazzi Digital Award 2017. With Merlino dove vai?(Pulce Edizioni) she won the 2024 Andersen Prize in the 0–3 category. She has exhibited her work in several exhibitions.
She designs and leads workshops in art, writing, bookmaking, sensory experiences for children and adults, and training programs for teachers and educators. She collaborates with schools, libraries, museums, and arts and culture centers.
Annalisa Manca
Annalisa Manca.
Matteo Porru
Matteo Porru was born in Rome in February 2001. He is the author of novels, essays, and short stories. He writes for cinema and theatre and works as a print columnist. Among the many literary awards he has received, he won the Campiello Giovani Prize and the Grand Prix du Livre. He was included by D la Repubblica among the 25 most promising under-25s in the world. A documentary about his life, a Matte, is available on RaiPlay.
Teresa Manes
After the death of her son Andrea Spezzacatena, Teresa Manes devoted her life to fighting bullying and cyberbullying, visiting schools throughout Italy. For her tireless commitment, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella awarded her the honor of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In 2024, Andrea’s story inspired the film Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa, which touched the hearts of thousands of people.
SUNDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2025
Barbara Tamborini
Barbara Tamborini is a psychopedagogist and the author of books for children, adolescents, and parents. Her books have been translated into many countries. Together with her husband Alberto Pellai, she has published several bestsellers, including L’età dello tsunami, La bussola delle emozioni (2019), Ammare (2017), and Destinazione vita (2021). She leads psychopedagogical workshops and training courses for parents and teachers. Alberto and Barbara are raising four children.
Valeria Locati
Valeria Locati is a psychologist, family psychotherapist, and bibliotherapist, specializing in couple and family relationships. Alongside her private clinical practice, she provides training and supervision for the Italian National Health Service on mental health and addiction, and also works as a consultant in legal contexts in cases involving child custody and parental assessments. She is the scientific director of the master’s program in couple psychotherapy at the RiPsi Institute and runs online bibliotherapy groups. She founded the blog Una Psicologa in Città and shares scientific content for the web and social media. She hosted the talk Blue Chats for @Freeda with Aurora Ramazzotti and is the author of the podcast Ansia? Parliamone for Storytel.
MONDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2025
Nicola Muscas
Nicola Muscas was born and lives in Cagliari, where he works as a journalist and writer. He collaborates with Undici and Domani, serves as a press officer for festivals and cultural events throughout Sardinia, and writes short stories for newspapers and magazines. His first novel, Isla bonita (66thand2nd), was published in 2021.
SATURDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2025
Concert – Polyphonic Choir Schola Cantorum San Geminiano (Samassi)
TUESDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2025
Giacomo Mameli
Giacomo Mameli (born in Perdasdefogu in 1941) is a journalist and writer. He graduated in Sociology and, at the Higher School of Journalism in Urbino, defended his thesis with Paolo Fabbri and Carlo Bo: Quattro paesi, un’isola. He is the artistic director of the literary festival Settesere, Settepiazze, Settelibri in Perdasdefogu.
He worked for L’Unione Sarda, collaborates with La Nuova Sardegna, and for twenty years hosted TV programs such as Facciamo i conti and Quelli che fanno on Videolina, and Ma però on Sardegna 1. He collaborates with RAI and foreign television networks. For two years (1991–1992) he was press officer for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He teaches Theory and Techniques of Communication in high schools and is a contract lecturer at the University of Cagliari (Faculty of Political Science, Master’s in Communication in Public Administration). Among his books, all published by Cuec, are La ghianda è una ciliegia, Il forno e la sirena, Sardo sono, Le ragazze sono partite, Come figlie, anzi, and Le chiavi dello zucchero. Hotel Nord America was published by Il Maestrale.
Maria Francesca Chiappe
Maria Francesca Chiappe is a professional journalist and writer from Cagliari with a degree in Law. She worked in television for ten years and specialized in court reporting for L’Unione Sarda. Chiappe has written several investigative books, including Non è lei and Ostaggio, receiving a special mention at the Premio Alziator for Non è lei. She is currently a columnist and hosts programs on Radiolina and Videolina. She won the National Reporter of the Year Award in 2008 and has been appointed Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
