From 0 authors to 0 contributions, the Libro Possibile flight from Polignano to London

At the first edition, no one showed up. Zero authors, zero audience, empty the thirty rented chairs. It was 2002, in Castellana Grotte, south of Bari, on a weekend in May, in the parvis of the mother church. "Il Libro Possibile", this was the name of the literary festival - born on the initiative of the Artes Cultural Association (chaired by Gianluca Loliva), with the artistic direction of Rosella Santoro -, with the intention of bringing culture into the squares, making it accessible to all. And, despite the first adversities, the 'concretisation' of the desire, fortunately, occurred, starting the following year. The three invited guests are this time present: Liliana de Curtis, Stefano Benni and Fabio Volo.

But it is with the move to Polignano a Mare, in its third edition, that everything changes: immediately a great success, four days in July in four different squares and balconies overlooking the sea. Thus began the history of one of the best-known cultural festivals at national level, and the most successful, for a number of reasons. The public that participates with conviction, the possibility of being next to the sea with the desire and the solid certainty of uniting tourism and culture: a winning formula that today Libro Possibile, on the strength of constant and certified growth at national and international level, also proposes abroad. In fact, for its 24th edition, the festival made in Puglia crosses national borders and makes its debut in London.

From 11 to 13 March, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, the festival brings to the British capital a programme with great Italian and British authors, leading voices in European literature, economics and science. The successes of Polignano a Mare and Vieste, in short, project the festival directed by Rosella Santoro (who for her cultural merits received the rank of Cavaliere from Sergio Mattarella) also on the Thames with well-known guests such as Simonetta Agnello Hornby, Philip Ball, Jonathan Coe, Carlo Cottarelli, Maurizio De Giovanni, Diego De Silva, Tommaso Ebhardt, Barbara Gallavotti, Olivia Laing, and Michele Masneri.

Yet the history of this festival deserves some extra consideration. "When we imagined Il Libro Possibile, we wanted to create a place where authors of all backgrounds could meet, dialogue and seek new perspectives. We made that place come to life in Polignano a Mare, grow in Vieste and today we are landing in London. It is the confirmation that Il Libro Possibile is a living cultural model, capable of adapting and growing wherever there is a desire for confrontation and discovery,' explains Santoro and confirms the director of the London Institute, Francesco Bongarrà, who is delighted with the forthcoming collaboration.

The economic dynamic of the festival itself is interesting, in addition, of course, to the cultural proposal. Because if in 2005 there was only one bed & breakfast in the Apulian town, last year there were 800 in the surrounding area. An explosion that, not only thanks to the festival of course, but with the festival among the protagonists, certifies the possibility of the existence of a cultural occasion with an important economic inducement: a not indifferent economic flywheel for the territory. And, not surprisingly, the festival also attracts investors.