Campania Libri Festival

The great publishing fair in the heart of Naples

The Campania Libri Festival is a celebration of books and publishing that turns the Royal Palace of Naples into a true city of reading every autumn. Launched in 2022 by the Fondazione Campania dei Festival, an in-house body of the Campania Region, the event brings together large and small publishing houses, Italian and international writers, translators, philosophers, directors, journalists, and thousands of readers. Free admission is, above all else, the key to its success: the most recent edition welcomed over 35,000 visitors.

Two monumental venues overlooking Piazza del Plebiscito

The festival takes place in the San Ferdinando district of Naples, across two iconic landmarks of the Neapolitan metropolitan area: the Royal Palace, with its historic courtyards, frescoed corridors, Romantic Garden, and the precious Court Theatre, and the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library, which hosts several meeting rooms. Publisher stands are set up directly in the courtyards and along the internal paths of the palace, making a visit to the festival a walk through one of the most important monumental complexes in Campania.

Thematic paths and a multidisciplinary approach

The hallmark of the Campania Libri Festival is its organization into thematic paths, curated by philosopher Massimo Adinolfi under the direction of Ruggero Cappuccio. The events are not mere book launches; they are grouped into strands that span the entire duration of the festival.

• Poetry and literary criticism
• Cinema and theatre, featuring guests from the world of entertainment
• History, philosophy, and geopolitics
• Noir and genre literature
• Translation and research publishing
• Spirituality and the «Eretiche» (Heretical) cycle, dedicated to female figures

Alongside the meetings, there are performances, masterclasses, readings, and writing workshops led by local Neapolitan schools and associations.

Kids and Young Adult: the festival for younger readers

A significant portion of the program is reserved for children and teenagers through the Kids and Young Adult tracks: comic and illustration workshops, animated readings, meetings with children's authors, and activities designed for schools in the province of Naples, which participate in large numbers during the weekdays.

The 2026 edition: «Jesce sole»

The fifth edition, scheduled from October 1st to 4th, 2026, is titled «Jesce sole», a tribute to maestro Roberto De Simone and the traditional Neapolitan folk tale of the Gatta Cenerentola. The exhibition spaces of the Royal Palace are named after figures from Mediterranean myth and imagination—Guarracino, Sibilla, Colapesce, Sirena, Virgilio—while over one hundred publishing houses are expected to host their own stands.

A cultural investment by the Campania Region

Supported by the Campania Region, the festival is designed as a true cultural infrastructure: it promotes local small and medium-sized publishing, fosters dialogue between regional and national publishers, and works to promote reading as a tool for freedom and inclusion. For Naples, a city with an ancient literary tradition, it has quickly become the essential autumn appointment for those who work with books and those who simply love them.