Lectorinfabula – Conversano

Lectorinfabula, the cultural festival born in Conversano

Established in 2005 in Conversano, in the province of Bari, Lectorinfabula is one of the longest-running and most renowned cultural festivals in Apulia. Organized by the Giuseppe Di Vagno Foundation (1889-1921), which is based in the town itself, the festival has evolved over the years from a local event into a major widespread festival that embraces the entire south-eastern Bari territory, while keeping its historic and symbolic heart in Conversano.

The theme of the 2026 edition: «The Contested Future»

The 22nd edition, scheduled from September 17th to 27th, 2026, revolves around the theme «The Contested Future: the sense of limits, the measure of rules». Ten days of meetings with journalists, writers, intellectuals, and scholars to reflect on the great contradictions of the present: the limits of development, the environmental and climate crisis, the meaning of rules, and the relationship between generations. Among this year's new features is the «Generative Squares» format, designed to foster dialogue between young people and experts, alongside historic formats such as Librexpression, Pagina '21, and the «Alessandro Leogrande» School of Narrative Reportage. In total, approximately 160 meetings and over 200 guests are expected, involving 23 schools, 9 libraries, and 7 local bookstores.

The program in Conversano

In Conversano, events are concentrated from September 24th to 27th, 2026, in the city's most evocative spaces: the Monastery of San Benedetto and the «M. Marangelli» Civic Library. On Thursday, September 24th, the festival returns to its home base with prominent names such as Massimo Giannini, Chiara Gribaudo, and Guglielmo Loy, alongside meetings dedicated to satire and current affairs comics with Terry Anderson, Daryl Cagle, Marilena Nardi, Thierry Vissol, and Fabio Magnasciutti. The cloister of the Monastery of San Benedetto will host a political satire exhibition curated by the Librexpression Center, titled «Artificial Intelligence: risks for humanity». The event concludes on Sunday, September 27th with a final morning session dedicated to «culture as a tool to think about the future», organized in collaboration with AICI (Association of Italian Cultural Institutions) and the Ministry of Culture, featuring contributions from Flavia Piccoli Nardelli and Andrea Mulas.

A widespread festival in nine municipalities of the Bari area

In 2026, the Lectorinfabula network brings together nine municipalities: Conversano (historic seat), Bari, Castellana Grotte, Mola di Bari, Noci, Noicattaro, Putignano, Rutigliano, and Turi. It is a community festival model that unites a territory rich in history and culturally vibrant, with the goal of bringing major public debate topics to smaller towns as well. The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Apulia Region, and the involved municipalities, and involves around a hundred young volunteers and dozens of students in school-work alternation programs.

Why attend

For those visiting Apulia in late September, Lectorinfabula is the perfect opportunity to combine the discovery of Conversano — with its Aragonese castle, Romanesque cathedral, and the Monastery of San Benedetto — with a cultural festival of national and European scope, where you can listen to authoritative voices in an informal and participatory atmosphere. A different way to experience the city, among pages, debates, and lively squares. Meetings are free and open to the public until capacity is reached.