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May 14,2006 - May 21,2006 |
World Book Day at Istituto Italiano di Cultura
Toronto event included industry roundtable of those who publish Italian books in Canada
By Luigi de Biase
Originally Published: 2006-04-30
On Monday, April 24, Istituto Italiano di Cultura celebrated World Book Day, an event established in 1995 under the aegis of UNESCO, the United Nations agency tasked with the diffusion and protection of knowledge. Institutions across the world participate in the Day with all kinds of initiatives. In Toronto, this included a roundtable with industry experts and representatives of publishing houses that translate and publish Italian books in Canada. This activity has experienced rapid growth in recent times, as confirmed by Paola Cioni, Cultural Officer of Istituto Italiano di Cultura.
"Umberto Eco and Stefano Benni are indubitably among the Italian authors most appreciated in North America," she explained, "but the Canadian publishing industry is keenly interested in Italian art, history and culture. In fact, noteworthy quantities of scientific and academic publications see the light every year. I think that for Toronto the activity of the U of T Press is particularly significant: they devote a lot of space to essays about our country, written by Italian and Canadian authors."
Book promotion, continued Cioni, is among the Istituto's statutory tasks: for this reason, last Monday's event plays a pivotal role in the programmes of this institution. "The Italians ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture," she remarked, "organize annual awards for publishers that deal with Italian works. We shall participate in these competitions, most likely by submitting works published by the U of T Press."
The roundtable included Istituto director Martin Stiglio and York University teacher Antonio Ricci. The latter's speech was particularly well received: he described the passages that an Italian book must undergo to be translated into English and published in in Canada. Ambassador of Italy Gabriele Sardo was the guest of honour.
"Every year," concluded Cioni, "we organize the Italian Week, an important showcase for our activities; it usually takes place in the third or fourth week in October. It's another decisive occasion for promoting the diffusion of Italian literature. Last year's edition was devoted to cinema; this year's theme will be gastronomy."
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