From 11 to 19 October in Milan, the Festival delle lettere celebrates a romantic act, ancient yet ever relevant: writing letters. An event for those who love writing and consider it an art form.
A double pleasure, that of writing them and receiving them: letters know nothing of the passing of time but rather gain even greater value in the modern age, representing a precious legacy of communication rich in pathos and feeling. The Festival delle lettere, which will be held in Milan from 11 to 19 October, celebrates all of this: an art form, for that is precisely what it is, capable of making people dream.
Bridging every kind of distance — physical, cultural or social — through a letter is the mission of the first and largest Italian event dedicated to writing in ink, on paper, with a stamp. Twelve editions of the festival that, in Milan, at the Teatro Verdi, will once again this year honour those who write letters and consider them one of the most universal and enduring means of expression: in more than ten years of the Festival delle lettere, over twenty thousand letters have been written, strictly by hand. Millions of words, thousands of stories.
Devising a festival around such a simple act may seem unusual, just as it may seem surprising to discover that, in the age of text messages and emails, the pleasure of writing by post can still command such widespread enthusiasm. The truth is that the letter holds a charm that transcends trends, for many reasons: it commands time in a truly special way because it is almost as old as writing itself. Then because it is a form of communication that makes waiting an integral part of itself. Moreover, the letter is universal territory: it belongs to women and men, to the young and the old, to the learned and the less learned. In the same way, the festival too makes room for everyone: a five-year-old child and a ninety-five-year-old can both enter the competition. Different writers and letters with the most varied of intentions: one need only think of the countless epistolary novels, love letters, farewell letters, letters from the front. Whatever the reason that drives someone to write, a feeling committed to paper is never lost — it travels, it makes a journey. Not only after the letter has been stamped and sent, but long before that. First comes the desire to communicate, which then takes shape in the heart, passes through the mind and becomes, word by word, a letter that finds its true fulfilment only when it is read. Perhaps only when it gives rise to a reply. A magical journey, the same as it has always been, and always moving.
The gathering at the Teatro Verdi is in fact only the final act of another journey — a year-long one — and of a competition that involves the publication of a call for entries, open from December to June, announcing the theme for that edition. The selection process is carried out with particular attention to subjects considered to be in need of discussion and thorough exploration, seeking a formulation that can be "interpreted" by the author. The theme is renewed from year to year and this year it is "letter to an artist". There are other categories, both in and out of competition — for example "letter on a free theme" or "letter from the drawer" — but for all participants the one true requirement is to write the letter by hand, as in the old days, and to send it the traditional way, moistening and sticking on a stamp. Because it is an ancient gesture that still carries meaning and value, and already expresses in itself how much feeling and sentiment lies behind it.
This year, for the out-of-competition categories of the festival, young people up to 14 years of age were asked to reply to Jane Goodall, the British anthropologist renowned for the results she achieved through her studies on the conservation of primates, who in her letter committed a message of hope to paper regarding a future that is still possible. "I think that, now more than ever, what we truly need is the sharing of a dream: the dream of working together to create a better world. A more sustainable world."
The initiative, in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute Italia and La Libreria dei Ragazzi di Milano, demonstrates a concern for the environment and a desire to educate new generations on these issues from an early age.
For this category too, which is out of competition, the entry deadline is 30 September — there is still time; while the prize-giving ceremony for the winners at the Teatro Verdi on Sunday 16 October is free to attend, though it will be necessary to book a seat by clicking here. For the other evenings and the shows in the programme, some of which are ticketed, all information is available at this link.