Little Lucy - A tiny literary festival

A great festival in a small village

Little Lucy is the literary festival of Lucignana, a hamlet of just 180 inhabitants in the municipality of Coreglia Antelminelli, in the province of Lucca, in the heart of the Tuscan Garfagnana. The event was born around the Libreria sopra la Penna, the small village bookstore founded by Alba Donati that became an international publishing phenomenon thanks to the book "The Bookshop on the Hill". Hence the subtitle that has become its signature: "a tiny literary festival".

The 2026 edition: the return

The sixth edition takes place from June 13 to August 29, 2026, and is dedicated to the theme of returning, explored through the lens of abandoned and reclaimed places—a theme deeply connected to the very experience of Lucignana and the villages of the Apennines. The festival is curated by Alba Donati and Pierpaolo Orlando and is organized by Fenysia – School of Cultural Languages, with the collaboration of Tina Guiducci and Isabella Di Nolfo.

Guests and events

The program alternates between major names in Italian literature and live performances. The opening on Saturday, June 13, is entrusted to Nicola Gardini. This is followed by events dedicated to the two festival awards and author meetings throughout July and August.

• June 13 – Nicola Gardini inaugurates the festival
• July 5 – Giuseppe Di Piazza and Marco Vichi
• July 11 – Franco Faggiani and Luigi Nacci; weekend workshop with Nadia Terranova
• July 17 – Elvira Seminara and Sandra Petrignani
• July 26 – the Ferracci-De Nitto duo with Paolo Hendel
• July 30 – Sandro Campani and Carmen Pellegrino
• August 22 – the traditional walk to the Hermitage of Sant'Ansano
• August 29 – the show "À rebours! A ritroso!" dedicated to Giacomo Puccini, with Massimo Marsili and maestro Simone Soldati

Festival awards

Little Lucy presents two awards every year. The international "Writing on the Horizon of the Hill" award, now in its third year, goes in 2026 to actor Toni Servillo (awarded on June 20), following Alberto Manguel and Dacia Maraini. The "Libreria sopra la Penna – Pia Pera Award", also in its third edition, is awarded to anthropologist Vito Teti (June 27).

An experience between literature and landscape

What makes Little Lucy unique is its setting: meetings are held outdoors, in front of the Libreria sopra la Penna and throughout the village, with views over the hills of the Media Valle del Serchio. Residential workshops—including those by Laura Imai Messina and Nadia Terranova—and spiritual walks complete a program that weaves together the written word, music, and nature. A widespread festival that, while remaining deliberately intimate, attracts audiences and authors from all over Italy, showcasing inland Tuscany and its small villages.