Prospero Young

A book festival made by young people

Prospero Young is the autumn spin-off of Prospero Fest, the literary festival of Monopoli, and is a one-of-a-kind event: it is conceived, built, and hosted by young people. They are the ones who choose the authors to invite, read their books, prepare questions, and take the stage to moderate the sessions. The underlying idea is simple yet ambitious: to give a voice to the new generation and transform young people from passive audience members into active protagonists of the cultural life of the Municipality of Monopoli, in the province of Bari, in the heart of Puglia.

The Rendella Library, the heart of the event

The festival is hosted at the Prospero Rendella Civic Library, a landmark for the Monopoli community, supported by the nearby Teatro Radar for larger events. For a few days, the library spaces become an open-air laboratory where primary, middle, and high school students participate in sessions tailored to their age groups. It is no coincidence that the volunteers describe the Rendella as «a second home».

Literature, theatre, and journalism

The Prospero Young program weaves together three main themes:

• Literature: meetings with authors selected by the students, focusing primarily on young adult fiction and current events;
• Theatre: acting workshops and masterclasses, with a special focus on inclusivity;
• Journalism: sessions such as «At school with the Order of Journalists», designed to introduce students to the world of media and storytelling.

The 2025 edition

The fourth edition took place from November 10th to 12th, 2025, featuring nine events designed by young people for young people. Guests who engaged with the young curators included names such as Federico Buffa, Fabio Geda, Chiara Tagliaferri, Pablo Trincia, Lorenza Bernardi, Camilla Ronzullo, Davide Avolio, and Elvio Carrieri, a Strega Prize finalist. Alongside author meetings, the festival offered an inclusive cinematic acting masterclass and various events reserved for local schools.

The 2026 edition

Prospero Young remains a staple of the Monopoli autumn calendar, typically concentrated over a weekend in November. The dates and program for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced by the organizers: as every year, the students will define the author selection and the structure of the meetings. The summer festival, Prospero Fest, was held from June 10th to 14th, 2026, at the Porto Antico in Monopoli.

A project by the Municipality of Monopoli

The event is promoted by the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Monopoli in collaboration with the La Rendella Association and the Prospero volunteers. In keeping with the festival's tradition, admission to all events is free until capacity is reached, confirming its status as an event that truly belongs to the city and its schools.