Basilicata Novel Festival

The Basilicata that reads aloud

The Basilicata Novel Festival is a widespread cultural project that makes reading aloud its beating heart. Promoted by the Allelammie association with the support of the Centre for Books and Reading (Cepell), the festival does not concentrate in a single square but travels through six municipalities in the region — Pisticci, Potenza, Matera, Venosa, Nemoli, and Montalbano Jonico — involving readers, libraries, and communities throughout the year.

A book for each municipality

Each municipality 'adopts' a book of the month, around which reading groups, diction and expressive reading workshops, themed installations in libraries, and podcast productions revolve. It ranges from classics like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to contemporary Italian authors: a mosaic of voices and stories that intertwines great literature with the culture of the territories. Among the project's partners are entities such as ACT in Circus, Pot in Pot, and the library system of the province of Potenza.

The grand finale at the end of October

The festival culminates in the grand finale at the end of October, when the involved municipalities host public readings, musical, theatrical, and artistic performances, and the Reading Market, a showcase for independent publishers and booksellers. A concluding literary walk accompanies the public through words, music, and art, celebrating the bond between the book and the community. A precious event for those who believe in reading as a shared gesture and in Basilicata as a land of stories.