The art of reading returns to Centro Pecci: from 6 to 8 November 2025, the Centro Pecci Books Festival celebrates its fourth edition. The Festival is organised in close collaboration with the “G. Marconi” Vocational Institute, SI-PO (German Cultural Institute of Prato), and Oikonomia – Economics and Spirituality.
The mornings are dedicated to meetings and workshops with schools and families, organised by the Centro Pecci Education Department, founded in 1988 by Bruno Munari, together with the students and teachers of the “G. Marconi” Vocational Institute.
Leading voices in children’s literature — such as Silvia Borando and Carola Susani — will be featured, in collaboration with some of the most forward-looking publishing houses in the field of education and creativity.
An outstanding international guest, British author Thomas Harding, will present the Italian preview of his new book Hitler e Mussolini contro Einstein – La storia di una strage (Newton Compton, October 2025), and will also meet students to discuss his acclaimed illustrated work La casa sul lago.
The afternoon of Friday 7 November will be entirely devoted to art books, with a marathon of national premieres and presentations focusing on figures such as Lanfranco Baldi, Corrado Levi, Lucia Marcucci, Lina Pallotta, and Davide Stucchi, as well as on Performance Art in Italy, art magazines, and the catalogues linked to the exhibition Vivono.
On Saturday 8 November, the Festival concludes with a grand finale shared with Oikonomia – Economics and Spirituality, the festival, featuring talks with Edoardo Camurri, Franco “Bifo” Berardi in conversation with Father Guidalberto Bormolini, and the concert Mondi Paralleli with Iacampo and Alberto Zuanon.
Programme
Thursday 6 November
4:30 pm – Marconi Vocational Institute – Teacher training
Giuseppe Nibali – Una cosa che non parla. Intellettuali e studenti contro la scuola
(San Paolo Edizioni, April 2025)
in conversation with Irene Innocente (Coordinator for Educational and Accessibility Activities, Centro Pecci)
6:30 pm
Thomas Harding – Hitler e Mussolini contro Einstein – La storia di una strage
(Newton Compton Editori, October 2025)
in conversation with Giulia Fioravanti (Vice-President, SI-PO / German Cultural Institute of Prato)
Friday 7 November
9:30 am
Marconi students – guided tours
11:00 am
Marconi students + SI-PO
Thomas Harding – La casa sul lago (Orecchio Acerbo)
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Elena Bettarini – Lanfranco Baldi. Ieri sera c’era luna piena (Gli Ori, 2025)
in conversation with Michele Bertolino
3:45 – 4:30 pm
Giulia Zompa – Il Cangiante. Una mostra di Corrado Levi (Postmedia Books, 2025)
+
Giorgio Di Domenico – La Città di Riga. 1976–1977. Forme e storie di una rivista (Edizioni SNS, 2024)
4:45 – 5:15 pm
Lara Conte / Francesca Gallo (eds.) – Costellazioni della Performance Art in Italia 1965–1982
(Silvana Editoriale, 2024)
with Alessandra Acocella and Jacopo Miliani
5:30 – 6:00 pm
Frida Carazzato / Francesca Verga / Claudia Crocco – Lucia Marcucci. Tutto qui? (Edizioni Bruno, 2025)
6:15 – 6:45 pm
Lina Pallotta – Tongue of Flames (Nero Edizioni, 2025)
with Allison Grimaldi Donahue
7:00 – 7:45 pm
Davide Stucchi catalogue (Mousse Publishing, 2025)
with Stefano Collicelli Cagol
8:00 – 9:00 pm
Vivono catalogue (AxisAxis Edizioni, 2025)
with Valeria Calvino, Tony Allotta, Giulia Zompa
Vivono – Centro Pecci Books Festival and Centro Pecci Cinema
9:15 pm – Fast Trip, Long Drop (1993) by Gregg Bordowitz (54’) – discover the film
10:15 pm – Buddies (1985) by Arthur J. Bressan Jr (81’) – discover the film
Saturday 8 November
10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Family workshop (ages 4–6) – by reservation
Silvia Borando – Un coniglietto molto ubbidiente + Se ti dessi mezza mela (Minibombo, 2024)
4:00 – 6:00 pm – Family workshop (ages 6–11) – by reservation
Carola Susani – Di cosa hai paura? (Orecchio Acerbo, February 2025)
4:00 pm
Antonella Fioravanti – Viaggio nel mondo invisibile (Aboca Edizioni, 2025)
in conversation with Antonio Riccardi (Editorial Director, Aboca Edizioni)
5:30 pm
Nadeesha Uyangoda – Acqua sporca (Einaudi, 2025)
in conversation with Stefano Collicelli Cagol (Director, Centro Pecci)
7:00 pm
Edoardo Camurri – La vita che brucia. Meticci, multiformi, nomadi, pur sempre in ricerca (Timeo, 2025)
in conversation with Roberta Rocelli (Cultural Director, Oikonomia)
9:00 pm
Franco “Bifo” Berardi – Disertare, scappare, nascondersi, starci comunque (Timeo)
in conversation with Father Guidalberto Bormolini
10:15 pm – Concert
Iacampo live (guitar, vocals) – Mondi Paralleli
with Alberto Zuanon (double bass)
Centro Pecci Books Festival 2025 is made possible thanks to the collaboration with the “G. Marconi” Vocational Institute, SI-PO – German Cultural Institute of Prato, and Oikonomia – Economics and Spirituality, the festival of the Ricostruttori nella preghiera community based at Villa del Palco.
Special thanks to Chiantibanca – Credito Cooperativo for its support and commitment to the cultural life of the territory.
The festival is also made possible through the joint work of the Centro Pecci Education Department, the participating publishing houses, and all the authors, teachers, students and collaborators who share its spirit and vision.