NeRoma Noir Festival

The crime festival in the heart of the Capital

The NeRoma Noir Festival is Rome's premier event entirely dedicated to genre literature: crime, noir, thriller, and true crime. Each October, the festival transforms iconic locations in Rome into a grand laboratory for crime storytelling, bringing together authors, investigative journalists, screenwriters, directors, and podcasters to explore the dark allure of mystery and crime.

The beating heart of the festival has always been the Libreria Libraccio on Via Nazionale, located in the city's historic center, recently joined by prestigious institutional venues across the capital. Here, dozens of free events allow the public to engage with leading figures in the genre, discover new releases, and attend book presentations, panel discussions, and screenings of films adapted from crime works.

A packed international program

The NeRoma Noir Festival formula focuses on both the quantity and quality of its events: numerous hours of programming spread over three days, featuring a strong presence of Italian writers alongside international guests. Over the years, the festival has brought some of the most beloved names in Italian crime and noir to Rome, as well as Spanish-language authors thanks to a twinning with the Tenerife Noir Festival and collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes.

Alongside book launches, the festival hosts creative writing workshops, debates on the relationship between true crime and fiction, and sessions dedicated to new voices in the genre. Several events are also broadcast via live streaming, reaching an audience far beyond the Roman venues.

The NeRoma literary awards

A hallmark of the festival is its wide range of literary competitions, which stimulate writing and showcase emerging talent. The awards cover unpublished short stories, unpublished and published novels, the true crime genre, and an international Spanish-language section, organized in collaboration with publishers and specialized outlets such as Il Giallo Mondadori, Libraccio Editore, and the weekly magazine Giallo by Cairo Editore.

Rome, the city of noir

Setting a crime festival in Rome, in the Lazio region, is no coincidence: the Capital has always been a privileged backdrop for Italian noir narrative, with its historic alleyways, seats of power, and literary suburbs. The NeRoma Noir Festival embraces this tradition and revitalizes it, offering enthusiasts an intense weekend and authors a high-profile showcase.

• Genre: crime, noir, thriller, true crime
• Period: October, three days
• Venues: Rome city center (Libreria Libraccio on Via Nazionale and institutional venues)
• Admission: free, registration recommended

Organized by Kipling Servizi Editoriali with artistic direction by Fabio Mundadori, alongside Simona Teodori and Chiara de Magistris, the festival is now a permanent fixture for Roman readers and anyone who loves to lose themselves in pages steeped in mystery.