Venue: Velarium Spiaggia GIT, Grado
Website: https://www.facebook.com/librieautoriagrado
From 26 June to 13 August 2026
Starts at 6.00 pm, Velarium, GIT Beach
Free entry
In case of rain, the events will take place at the Grand Hotel Astoria.
The event will also be translated into German.
From Antonio Caprarica to Carlo Cottarelli, a summer of leading figures from Italian culture at the Velarium on GIT Beach.
The cultural festival ‘Libri e Autori a Grado’ (Books and Authors in Grado), one of the most eagerly awaited events of the summer season in Grado, begins earlier than in previous years. The picturesque setting of the Velarium at GIT Beach will host thirteen events featuring writers, journalists, historians, economists and leading figures from Italian cultural life.
A programme ranging from international politics to fiction, from history to economics, from health to neuroscience.
PROGRAMME:
Friday 26 June
The festival will be opened by Antonio Caprarica, a veteran figure in Italian journalism and a profound expert on the Anglo-Saxon world, who, with his latest essay ‘Il Bullo’ (Piemme Mondadori), offers a critical and in-depth portrait of Donald Trump, analysing his personality, political methods and impact on the international balance of power. He will be in conversation with the journalist and professor of philosophy Franco Del Campo.
Friday 3 July
The star of the festival will be Andrea Nagele, an Austrian writer who has chosen Grado as the setting for her acclaimed thrillers, which are bestsellers in German-speaking countries. The author will present ‘Grado e i brividi del passato’, her first book published by Gaspari. Introduces Christian Puswald.
Saturday 4 July
One of the festival’s most popular historians, Gianni Oliva, returns to Grado with his essay "La prima guerra civile"(Mondadori). A work offering an original take on the events that accompanied the creation of a united Italy, highlighting contradictions and conflicts often overlooked by traditional narratives. He will be in conversation with Franco Del Campo.
Friday 10 July
The director of ANSA Friuli Venezia Giulia Francesco De Filippo, with his book ‘Di Pianeti e di uomini’ (Castelvecchi), will recount his long personal and professional relationship with Andrea Camilleri, offering the public an authentic and previously unpublished portrait of the great Sicilian writer and creator of Inspector Montalbano. Journalist Fabiana Della Valle will be in conversation with him.
Saturday 11 July
Alberto Brambilla, one of the country’s most authoritative economists and pension experts, will be joining the programme. With ‘Longevity Economy’ (Guerini e Associati), he will tackle one of the great challenges of the future: the ageing population and the need to transform longevity into a social and economic resource. Joining him for a discussion will be Ariella Cuk, president of the Lunga Vita Attiva Association in Trieste.
Friday 17 July
Andrea Vitali, one of the most widely read Italian authors of recent decades, will take us to his Bellano with his new novel ‘Il piede nella fossa’ (Garzanti). Interview by Leonardo Tognon.
Saturday 18 July
Elisabetta de Dominis, a long-standing figure at the festival as an interviewer, this year appearing as an author with her debut novel ‘Al di là della carne’ (Aragno Editore), will take the audience into the legendary atmosphere of Camelot, amidst Merlin the wizard, ancient myths and symbolic imagery. Interviewed by Gianpaolo Polesini.
Friday 24 July
Elena Commessatti, journalist and writer, will present ‘Il tempo delle viole’ (Newton Compton), a novel that has been at the top of the regional bestseller lists for weeks. Through the stories of three protagonists, the book recounts some of the lesser-known episodes in the history of Friuli Venezia Giulia between the 19th and 20th centuries. Interview by Valentina Viviani.
Saturday 25 July
Gaddo della Gherardesca, a direct descendant of the famous Count Ugolino, will present ‘Al tempo di una volta’ (Rizzoli), an ironic and nostalgic journey through the traditions and rituals of the Italian nobility. In conversation with him: Gianpaolo Polesini.
Friday 31 July
A highly topical scientific discussion with Eliana Liotta, a journalist and essayist who is one of Italy’s most authoritative popularisers of science. She will present "La mente radiosa" (Sonzogno), written together with neuroscientist Michela Mattioli, which explores the relationships between the brain, the body and the microbiota. She will be joined by Marina Maroncelli. The discussion will be enriched by a contribution from Professor Umberto Tirelli of the CRO in Aviano.
Tuesday 4 August at 9.15 pm
The programme enters August with a theatre production based on an idea by Tullio Svettini, ‘Le bagnine’ by the Grado Teatro Association.
Thursday 6 August
The Turin magistrate Cristiano Trevisan will present the crime novel ‘Ruggeri e la giovane scomparsa’ (Neos Editore). A judge by profession and a writer by passion, Trevisan recently presented the book at the Turin International Book Fair. Interview by Leonardo Tognon.
Friday 7 August
One of the most beloved crime writers, Tullio Avoledo, will return to present his new novel ‘Ultimo valzer di una ragazza perbene’ (Neri Pozza). A crime novel that explores time, generations and identity. Leonardo Tognon will be in conversation with him.
Thursday 13 August
The closing event of the series features a guest of the highest calibre: Carlo Cottarelli, an internationally renowned economist. In his latest essay ‘L’economia facile’ (Solferino), he offers the general public the tools to understand the mechanisms of the contemporary economy in simple yet rigorous language. He will be interviewed by institutional journalist Elisabetta Pozzetto, an expert in the circular economy.
Following the talks, there will be a poetry reading of works by Biagio Marin curated by Tullio Svettini, and a toast courtesy of the Sergio Scarbolo winery.
Information:
librieautoriagrado@gmail.com
Tel. +39 337 530769.
The event is organised by:
AZ-comunicazione
In collaboration with:
Municipality of Grado
Grado Impianti Turistici
Cassa Rurale FVG and Fondazione CARIGO
With the support of:
Grand Hotel Astoria, Hotel Villa Erica, Livio Felluga, Ristorante al Casone.
Radio media partner: Diffusione Europea