Feminism – National Women's Publishing Fair
The women's publishing fair at the Casa Internazionale delle Donne in Rome
About Feminism
A fair that tells the story of women's publishing
Feminism – National Women's Publishing Fair is the Italian event that brings together, once a year, the publishing houses, magazines, and independent projects that publish women's writing. It is held in Rome, in the capital city of the Lazio Region, inside the Casa Internazionale delle Donne at Via della Lungara 19, the former Buon Pastore complex in the Trastevere district. The choice of venue is no coincidence: it is a symbolic space for Roman feminist associations and women's autonomous cultural production.
How Feminism was born
The fair was conceived by six women involved in cultural politics — Maria Palazzesi, Giovanna Olivieri, Anna Maria Crispino, Stefania Vulterini, Maria Vittoria Vittori, and Alessandra Pigliaru — and is promoted by Archivia, the center for women's archives, libraries, and documentation, in collaboration with the Casa Internazionale delle Donne and the Youth Center of Rome's 1st Municipality. Since the first edition in 2018, the initiative has grown to involve several dozen publishers: 68 in the 2025 edition, and about 80 in 2026.
A different theme every year
Each edition revolves around a central theme that guides the dialogues and focuses. In 2025, the theme was Political practices of inner life; in 2026, the ninth edition chose the environment, with the title Creatures of a single world. Ecologies, books, voices: the climate crisis, migration, and the relationship between the human and non-human read through the books and voices of female authors. Each year, the fair entrusts the role of godmothers to two cultural figures: in 2026, writer and poet Laura Pugno and philosopher of science Elena Gagliasso.
How the event is organized
- Dialogues: multi-voice discussions on the major themes of the year.
- Focuses: in-depth monographic studies on specific issues.
- Tributes: portraits of 20th-century authors and scholars — over the years, these have been dedicated to Luce d'Eramo, Marija Gimbutas, Susan Sontag, Adriana Zarri, and Rachel Carson.
- Presentations: fiction, poetry, and non-fiction proposed directly by the participating publishers.
- Schools Day: the final day is reserved for meetings with students.
The meetings take place in parallel in several rooms of the Casa Internazionale — including the Sala Carla Lonzi, the Sala Simonetta Tosi, and the Sala Liliana Ingargiola — while the book space is curated by the Centro Giovani Zalib. Throughout the rest of the structure, the publishers' stands remain open, which can be visited freely throughout the duration of the fair.
Why it's worth visiting
Feminism is not just a miniature book fair: it is a place where small publishing houses that rarely find space in large bookstores meet, along with historic magazines of Italian feminism like Leggendaria and Futura, and an audience that arrives from all over Italy. For those visiting Rome during those days, it is also an opportunity to discover the Casa Internazionale delle Donne, an 18th-century monumental complex overlooking the Tiber, just a few steps from Porta Settimiana and the heart of Trastevere.
Feminism — edition 2026
Feminism 9 — Creatures of a single world
The ninth edition of the National Women's Publishing Fair chose the environment as its central theme, expressed in the title Creatures of a single world. Ecologies, books, voices. Four days of meetings in the rooms of the Casa Internazionale delle Donne on Via della Lungara, in Trastevere, with the stands of about eighty independent publishers open to the public.
The theme was addressed in all its dimensions: reality and the stories we tell about it, the human and the non-human, emergencies and projects, thought and the future. Alongside dialogues and focuses, the fair offered tributes to authors who have marked ecological thought — above all Rachel Carson — and numerous presentations of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction curated directly by the participating publishers. The final day, as per tradition, was dedicated to meetings with schools, while the book space was curated by the Centro Giovani Zalib.
Programme Feminism 2026
Friday, February 27, 2026 — opening
- 3:00 PM — Sala Carla Lonzi: inauguration of the fair with the organizers, godmothers Laura Pugno and Elena Gagliasso, and Mmathari Mashao from the South African Embassy.
- 5:00 PM — Sala Simonetta Tosi: Where we are going: refuge places and human and non-human migrants, with talks on gentrification, migration literature, and the Lingua Madre Competition.
- 5:00 PM — Sala Carla Lonzi: Words and tools against gender-based violence, with Caterina Di Paolo.
- 5:00 PM — Sala Zalib and Sala Liliana Ingargiola: presentations and meetings with authors.
- 6:00 PM — Sala Carla Lonzi: tribute to Rachel Carson.
- 6:00 PM — Sala Zalib: meeting with contemporary authors.
- 7:00 PM — Sala Simonetta Tosi: poetry dialogue with Laura Pugno.
From February 28 to March 2, 2026
In the following days, dialogues, thematic focuses, tributes, and presentations alternated in the various rooms of the Casa Internazionale delle Donne, with publishers' stands open for the entire duration of the event. The final day was reserved for meetings with schools. The complete day-by-day program is published in PDF on the fair's official website.
Highlights Feminism 2026
- About eighty independent publishing houses gathered in one venue.
- Edition theme: Creatures of a single world. Ecologies, books, voices.
- Godmothers: Laura Pugno, writer and poet, and Elena Gagliasso, philosopher of science.
- Tribute to Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring.
- Final day dedicated to meetings with schools.
- Book space curated by the Centro Giovani Zalib.
Prices Feminism 2026
Practical information — Feminism
Where it takes place
Casa Internazionale delle Donne, Via della Lungara 19, 00165 Rome (Trastevere district), on the right bank of the Tiber between Porta Settimiana and Regina Coeli.
How to get there
- By train: from Roma Termini, take a bus or metro to Trastevere; Roma Trastevere station is about a 20-minute walk away.
- By public transport: tram 8 (terminus Trastevere/Piazza Venezia) and buses in the Lungotevere area; stop at Lungotevere Farnesina.
- By car: the area is a restricted traffic zone and parking is very scarce — it is recommended to leave the car outside the center and continue by public transport.
- By plane: Rome Fiumicino airport, then the Leonardo Express train to Termini.
Information and program
The complete program, updated every year and downloadable in PDF, is published on the official website feminismfieraeditoriadelledonne.it and on the fair's social media channels. For information: [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Feminism
Casa Internazionale delle Donne
Via della Lungara 19, 00165 Roma