A Room of One’s Own

8 WRITERS FOR 8 ROOMS

Eight writers, eight among the most interesting voices of the under 40’s generation of the Italian literature, will stay at the AbanoRitz Hotel on the weekends of March 29th and April 12th giving life to eight tales inspired by fascination, from the past and from the present of a charme residence that knew how to reinvent itself through the time and – as well – how to deliver the spirit of elegant reception that is the principal line of it since forever.

The project’s title – A  Room of One’s Own – recalls the one of the essay of the 1929 in which Virginia Wolf retraces her own literary history. A room of one’s own, to stay, to loaf, to enjoy the slowly passing of time and give life to a flow of stories, reflections, memories, visions. A  Room of One’s Own is a project edited by Francesco Pasquale.

The rooms in which the authors will be hosted are those renovated on the fifth floor of the hotel, each with its own character, a theme, a distinctive line designed by the Poletto sisters. But it is above all Terry Poletto who has put all the creativity of a decorator by passion into it, disregarding the non-place neologism, introduced by the anthropologist Marc Augé in the end of the 90s, for an hotel. An open heart and a free mind, Terry proves to be sensitive to the new while cultivating the passion for tradition and the slightly mythologized memories, creating rooms in an extraordinary balance between dream and play, magic and fantasy; not only design, therefore, but uniqueness and originality, curiosity and research.

The experience and the tales of the eight writers will take the shape of a volume, embellished by an accurate photographic reportage by Giovanni De Sandre. De Sandre had already followed in 2017 the Genius Loci project for the 50 years of AbanoRitz hospitality history. Architect and photographer, he was able to capture and enhance with his shots all the incredible stratification of professional periods and of the aesthetic and engineering culture of the AbanoRitz.

The writers

1. Mari Accardi (1977), born in Palermo, currently lives in France. She was selected by the magazine Granta Italia for the number dedicated to the most promising voices in the country. In 2013 she made her debut with Il posto più strano dove mi sono innamorata (Terre di mezzo), a finalist at the Premio Settembrini, and is among the authors of the anthology Quello che hai amato by Violetta Bellocchio (Utet 2015). Her latest book is Ma tu divertiti (Terre di mezzo 2018). Mari Accardi will live in room 514: The Swan 
2. Alessio Arena (1984), born in Naples, is a writer and songwriter. He won the XXIV edition of Musicultura and the A.F.I award for the best recording project. In 2014 he released the first multilingual album Bestiari(o) familiar(e), recorded between Naples and Barcelona, ​​where he lives. He is also the author of L’infanzia delle cose (Manni 2009, Premio Giuseppe Giusti Opera Prima), La letteratura Tamil in Naples (Neri Pozza 2014) and La notte non vuole venire (Fandango 2018). Alessio Arena will live in room 508: The Wood
3. Ester Armanino (1982) is an architect and lives in Genoa. Her first novel Storia naturale di una famiglia (Einaudi 2011) won the Kihlgren Opera Prima Award, the Viadana Giovani Award, the Zocca Award and the Mediterranean Culture Award – Young Narrative section. She is among the authors of Undici per la Liguria (Einaudi 2015). In 2016 she published, for Einaudi, the novel L’arca. Ester Armanino will live in room 511: The flying carpet
4. Giulia Caminito (1988) was born and lives in Rome, where she graduated in political philosophy. Her first novel La grande A (Giunti 2016) won the Bagutta Opera Prima, Berto and Brancati Giovani awards. In December 2018 she released her first children’s book, La ballerina e il marinaio (orecchio acerbo). Her new novel is Un giorno verrà (Bompiani 2019). Giulia Caminito will live in room 519: Brown-Relax
5. Emmanuela Carbé (1983), from Verona, is a research fellow at the Department of Philology and Criticism at the University of Siena. She published Mio salmone domestico (Laterza 2013) and L’unico viaggio che ho fatto (minimum fax 2017). She participated in the anthologies L’età della febbre (minimum fax 2015), Ma il mondo, non era di tutti? (marcos y marcos 2016), Princesa e altre regine (Giunti 2018). She is a member of the jury of the Premio Settembrini and of the selection jury of the Campiello Giovani. Emmanuela Carbé will live in room 520: White-Total light
6. Fabio Deotto (1982) was born in Vimercate. A graduate in Biotechnology, he writes articles, interviews and in-depth studies with a scientific, literary and musical background for national magazines and newspapers. For Einaudi Stile Libero published in 2014 Condominio R39, his first novel, and in 2017 Un attimo prima. Fabio Deotto will live in room 504: The Garage
7. Ilaria Gaspari (1986) was born in Milan. She studied philosophy at the Scuola Normale of Pisa and graduated in Paris with a thesis on passions at the Sorbonne University. In 2015 she released her first novel, Etica dell’acquario (Voland). For Sonzogno in 2018 she published Ragioni e sentimenti. L’amore preso con filosofia. She collaborates with various newspapers, holds writing courses at the Scuola Holden, lives between Rome and Paris. Ilaria Gaspari will live in room 515: The Heart
8. Orso Tosco (1982) is a writer and screenwriter. He has published stories in “Watt” and in other magazines. His first novel, Aspettando i Naufraghi (minimum fax 2018) is a very real representation of the secret motivations that lead us to live, up to the last breath. Orso Tosco will live in room 510: Recycling

The work will be coordinated by Raffaele Riba. Born in Cuneo in 1983, he is one of the curators of scrittorincittà and teaches at the Holden School. He made his debut in 2014 with Un giorno per disfare (66thand2nd) and in 2015, for Loescher, Abbi pure paura was released. His last book is La custodia dei cieli profondi (66thand2nd).

Ida Poletto, who strongly wanted this project, believes in the power and urgency of stories, in their ability to describe and illuminate things. In the culture of tourism and in the business that creates values. Between history and memory, between journey and narration Ida wants to testify to her reality, which is that of hospitality, that of AbanoRitz which is a window on the world.

AbanoRitz Spa Wellfeeling Resort Italy – Abano Terme, Padova – Via Monteortone, 19
Tel. +39 0498633100 – Direct booking +39 0498633444 / 5
E-mail: abanoritz@abanoritz.it