Mondadori

This year, 15 October marks the centenary of the birth of Italo Calvino, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, and the Mondadori Group wants to pay tribute to his life and literary output with a rich program of events.

New editions in bookstores

Events for this anniversary include new editions of Italo Calvino’s works. The author’s books are now available in bookstores with a new layout designed with illustrations by Jack Smyth, a young British illustrator.

As of mid-September 2023, Marilena Rossi will take on the role of Head of Italian Fiction at Mondadori, reporting directly to Francesco Anzelmo, General Manager of the publishing house.

«It is an honour to pick up the baton as head of Italian Fiction. I am grateful to those who preceded me and to Mondadori’s management, especially Francesco Anzelmo, for their trust. Together with our team of brilliant and highly experienced professionals, we will continue to provide readers with as varied an offering as possible. The privilege of working in a large publishing house with a multi-variegated catalogue is the possibility of pursuing a wide-ranging cultural project. We will cultivate the literary dimension, through the work of established writers and the constant search for new voices, and pay great attention to genre and popular fiction, in its various forms. From comedies – so successful in Italian cinema, but still full of potential in novel form – to thrillers, historical novels, family sagas and the great Mondadori tradition of crime fiction. As passionate and insightful readers, we will also try to intercept new trends and discern the as yet unexpressed desires of readers.»

Marilena Rossi was born in Milan in 1977 and has two daughters. After graduating in modern literature from the University of Milan, between 2004 and 2008 she continued her studies in the academic environment and collaborated with various literary journals.

In 2008 she joined Mondadori as a desk editor and editor-in-chief under Antonio Franchini; later she worked with Carlo Carabba and Giovanni Francesio – who preceded her in the role of head of Italian fiction – and became the point of reference for many of the publishing house’s most important and representative authors.

In 2015, Rossi became an acquiring editor and, in addition to working with authors in the Mondadori portfolio, built a successful track record in discovering and acquiring new voices, many of whom are now established authors.

She has been running a writing workshop at the Belleville School in Milan since 2019.

 

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Photo by Claudio Sforza

This June, our brands take part in the festivities of Pride month, a time of the year dedicated to celebrating the diversity, inclusion and rights of the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Pride month is an occasion to foster values such as respect, equality and tolerance towards each individual, regardless of their gender, identity or sexual preferences.

For pride month, we recommend a series of publications on LGBTQIA+ topics published by our publishing houses. We believe in the power of books as a tool used to convey inclusiveness through stories speaking of all shades of love.

Mondadori and Star Comics created a special Pride month page on their respective websites to demonstrate their commitment towards inclusion and diversity. In fact, the same will contain various book suggestions for its readers. And there’s something for everyone: from comics to novels or autobiographies to memoirs.

Thanks to this initiative, people can access a vast range of editorial offers depicting heartfelt and open-minded stories full of brave characters.

Our publishing houses also suggest other reading suggestions:

The Wom also created a special section on its website. The Wom in fact addresses its community through such area by sharing content developed to give space to the LGBTQIA+ communities and clarify the most controversial issues to spread awareness and inclusion.

 

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Salman Rushdie, one of the most important advocates of contemporary international culture, returns to bookstores with a new novel published by Mondadori: Victory City. The story speaks of the creation and development of Bisnaga (literally “Victory City” in 14th century India) by the will of the Goddess Pampa Kampana, who revealed herself to a young orphan bearing her name; but, above all, the story emphasises the most important goal: that of ensuring equal power to women in a patriarchal world.

Synopsis

In 14th century India, following a bloody battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, a nine-year-old girl makes a divine encounter bound to change the course of history.

The very young Pampa Kampana, overwhelmed with pain since her mother’s death, becomes a medium for her homonymous Goddess, who not only begins speaking through her, but who also grants her huge powers, thus revealing her role will be determinant for the birth of a great city called Bisnaga (literally “Victory City”).

Over the following 250 years, Pampa Kampana’s life is deeply intertwined with that of Bisnaga: from its creation, which was made possible thanks to a bag of magical seeds, to its tragic destruction, which was caused by the arrogance of the powerful. The story, whispered through the words our heroine, gradually gives life to Bisnaga and its citizens in the attempt to fulfil the task entrusted to her by the Goddess: ensuring equal power to women in a patriarchal world. However, all stories have a way of becoming independent from their creator, and Bisnaga is no exception. Over the years, following a succession of rulers, battles won and others lost, the fabric of Bisnaga continues to assume an increasingly more complex pattern, at the centre of which our heroine endures. Brilliantly structured like the translation of an ancient epic, Victory City is a saga of love, adventure, myth and a confirmation of the power of storytelling.

The author

Salman Rushdie, born in Mumbai, in 1945, moved to London at the age of fourteen and studied at King’s College, in Cambridge. Not only has he written novels such as Shame, Midnight’s Children, The Moor’s Last Sigh, Shalimar The Clown, The Enchantress of Florence, Quichotte, but also news stories and many essays. Following the 1988 publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses, he became subject of various serious threats and was forced to lead a semi-clandestine life under police protection. On August 12th 2022, he was severely stabbed at a literary event near New York. He is unanimously considered one of the most important advocates of contemporary international culture.

Spare, the autobiography of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, published by Penguin Random House and for Mondadori, in Italy, is being released worldwide today, January 10, 2023.

 From the very first pages, Spare takes readers back to one of the most poignant images of the twentieth century: two little boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin under the entire world’s pained and horrified eyes. As the funeral of Diana was being celebrated, billions of people wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry were thinking or feeling, but also how their lives would move forward from there.

Now, at last, Harry tells his story.

“The Heir and Backup: such definition was neither a judgement nor ambiguous. I was the shadow, the second in line, the plan B… I was summoned as a backup, a distraction, a diversion and, whenever necessary, a spare part. … All of this had been made clear to me since I can remember and reaffirmed periodically ever since.”

Before losing his mother, the then 12-year old Prince Harry was regarded as the cheerful and carefree Backup of the more serious Heir to the throne. However, that time of mourning changed everything. Harry began having issues at school and found himself struggling against his own anger and solitude. Moreover, since he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he had a hard time accepting life under the spotlight.

At twenty, he joined the British Army. Discipline gave him stability, and two missions turned him into a hero at home. However, he soon found himself more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and crippling panic attacks. But most of all, he was unable to find true love.

Then, he met Meghan. The world was captivated by that novel-like story and rejoiced in their fairy tale wedding. Yet, Harry and Meghan were pursued by the press since the very beginning, struck with numerous insults, racist comments and lies. Seeing his wife suffer, and fearing for their safety and sanity, Harry found himself forced to flee the country in an attempt to prevent history from tragically repeating itself. Few have dared to leave the royal family over the centuries. His mother had been the last to do so…

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his story, an account of his journey reported with unquestionable truth. Spare is an exceptional book full of particulars, revelations and intimate details emphasised by the awareness – conquered at a great price – that love always prevails over pain.

Prince Harry intends to support a certain number of British charities with the profits of Spare. The Duke of Sussex has donated 1,500,000 dollars to Sentebale, an organisation he set up with Prince Seeiso in memory of their mothers and which supports the vulnerable children and youngsters suffering from HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. The prince will also donate 300,000 pounds to WellChild, a no-profit organisation he has supported for fifteen years as a royal and which provides home care to children and youngsters with complex health needs whenever possible.

The English versions of Spare will be published in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House UK, and by Random House Canada in Canada. The book will also be translated and published in 15 other languages: Spanish, Plaza & Janés/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial; German, Penguin Verlag/Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe GmbH; Brazilian Portuguese, Objetiva/Grupo Companhia das Letras; European Portuguese, Objectiva/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial; simplified Chinese, Penguin Random House China; Danish, Politikens Forlag; Dutch, Hollands Diep, a division of Overamstel; Finnish, Otava Publishing Company Ltd.; French, Éditions Fayard; Greek, Pedio Books; Hungarian, Corvina Books; Italian, Mondadori; Polish, Wydawnictwo Marginesy; Romanian, Nemira Publishing House; Swedish, Albert Bonniers Förlag.

 # # #

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a husband, father, human rights activist, military veteran, mental health advocate and environmentalist. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs.

Prince Harry

Spare

Mondadori.

January 10, 2023

Hardcover, 540 pages, € 25,00

You can find it here.

Cover credits

Cover design: Christopher Brand

Cover photo: Ramona Rosales

Spare, the memoir of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is to be published simultaneously around the world on 10 January 2023. The book, whose cover photo has already been revealed, will be published in Italy by Mondadori, in paper and digital formats. It will be released in a total of 16 languages around the world.

From the opening pages, Spare takes the reader back to one of the most poignant images of the twentieth century: two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow and horror. As the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, took place, billions of people wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling, and how their lives would move forward from there.

Now at last Harry tells his story.

With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication. Full of insights and revelations, the book is the result of profound self-examination and the awareness – achieved at great personal cost – that love always triumphs over grief.

Prince Harry wishes to support a number of British charities with donations from the proceeds of Spare. The Duke of Sussex has already donated 1,500,000 dollars to Sentebale, an organisation he set up with Prince Seeiso in memory of their mothers, which supports vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/Aids. The prince will also donate 300,000 pounds to WellChild, a no-profit organisation of which he has been patron for fifteen years, which makes it possible for children and young people with complex health needs to be cared for at home, wherever possible.

Readers can find information about the book on the Mondadori website: https://www.mondadori.it/libri/spare-il-minore-prince-harry/
The English-language editions of Spare will be published in North America by Random House U.S. and Random House Canada; in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa by Transworld, a division of Penguin Random House UK; in Canada by Random House Canada. The book will also be translated and published in 14 other languages: SPANISH Plaza & Janés/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, GERMAN Penguin Verlag/Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe GmbH, BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE Objetiva/Grupo Companhia das Letras, EUROPEAN PORTUGUESE Objectiva/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, SIMPLIFIED CHINESE Penguin Random House China, DANISH Politikens Forlag, DUTCH Hollands Diep, a division of Overamstel, FINNISH Otava Publishing Company Ltd., FRENCH Éditions Fayard, GREEK Pedio Books, HUNGARIAN Corvina Books, POLISH Wydawnictwo Marginesy, ROMANIAN Nemira Publishing House, SWEDISH Albert Bonniers Förlag.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a husband, father, human rights activist, military veteran, a mental health campaigner and an environmentalist. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs.

Prince Harry
Spare
Mondadori
10 January 2023
Hardcover, euro 25,00

A partnership with the historical archives of Italy’s most prominent companies has produced “Posters by major Italian companies”, a special publishing initiative by the Mondadori Group for collectors of timeless treasures of the art of advertising.

The initiative involves a number of Italy’s biggest and best-known historic brands – Barilla, Manetti & Roberts, Martini, Pavesi, Pirelli, Olivetti, Ducati, Fabbri 1905, Voiello – bringing back ten unique vintage advertising posters of great artistic and cultural value that made their mark on the advertising scene between the Thirties and the Nineties.

Starting this week, selected points of sale will offer fans of vintage collectors’ items a limited edition of the first five items in the series:

• “Notte di Stelline” (“Starry Nights”), a poster from the historic wall calendar designed by Adolfo Busi in 1931 for Barilla, the company founded by Pietro Barilla 145 years ago. In the illustration, chubby, lively children play with pasta of different shapes, demonstrating that pasta is good for you and gives you lots of energy, in an indirect response to the Manifesto of Futurist Cooking and its call to abolish pasta.
• “Venere moderna” (“Modern Venus”), an iconic advertising poster published by Manetti & Roberts. Designed in the Thirties by an artist from Puglia, Gino Boccasile, it is inspired by the maternal elegance of the archetypal figure of woman at the time, portraying a child playfully sprinkling the “Modern Venus” with talcum powder.
• “Jockey”, a work Martini commissioned of French painter Jean Droit in 1948. With a great focus on detail and bold expressive power, Jockey metaphorically recalls a horse race in which jockeys ride vermouth bottles: the Martini bottle is in the lead, while the other two lag behind in the background.
• “Bambino con i Pavesini” (“Baby with Pavesini biscuits”), designed by Gian Carlo Rossetti in 1961, brings back the timeless image of the Pavesini baby, a representation that was repeatedly brought back and updated over the years to suggest that Pavesini biscuits are nutritious and appropriate for even the smallest children.
• “Pirelli BELTED tyre”, a 1961 advertising poster designed for Pirelli by Riccardo Manzi. The artist designed book covers and advertisements in his humorous style, bringing a note of colour and merriment to the graphics in this poster popularising an essential product: reinforced tyres guaranteeing perfect safety at the wheel, paradoxically and ironically suggesting they are safe even if the driver can’t see properly.

The second limited edition collection will be available at selected points of sale starting on 17 November:

• “Vera pasta all’uovo” (“Real egg pasta”), an illustration depicting the emblematic Cubist chicken in support of the quality of Barilla pasta, produced in 1954 by Erberto Carboni, the great graphic artist and coordinator of the company’s image. The poster is a true homage to the quality of raw materials.
• “Tetractys”, an advertising poster created in 1956 by Giovanni Pintori, the designer whose original graphic works made Olivetti products known and recognised the world over. The tree-like portrayal of Tetractys underlines the proliferative potential of the Olivetti computer.
• Ducati 916, a true work of art in motion created in 1993 by designer Massimo Tamburini, incarnates the essential values of Ducati: Style, Sophistication and Performance. Probably the most iconic of all the motorcycle manufacturer’s models, the Ducati 916 offers an all-new synthesis of technology and design; its tempered headlights, in the middle of the poster, mesmerised the world in the Nineties.
• “Brezza che ristora” (“Refreshing breeze”), an advertising poster from the Forties for Amarena Fabbri (Fabbri 1905): an invitation to face the summer heat with Fabbri, renowned for its historic ties with the world of advertising – with Carosello and Fabbri telling the story of “a painter a week – Renato Gottuso” – and the world of art, with the Fabbri Award for Art.
• The print by Voiello – main sponsor of “Procida Italian Cultural Capital 2022” – dates back to the second decade of the twentieth century. The unknown artist offers an allegorical representation of Mediterranean identity and the city of Naples – underlining the company’s ties with the area – conveying a message about the Italian identity and quality of the ingredients and the production process.

The posters – available at the news-stand in specially designed display units emphasising their unique qualities – are sold with an exclusive booklet providing information in which collectors can find out all about the history of the product, the artists, the companies and much more.

The ten advertising posters are available in the best news-stands and supermarkets at a price of € 8.90 each.

Mondadori – libri per ragazzi is launching the new series “Io dico no” [I say no]: a series of books, each one dedicated to a current issue explained through ten key words by highly qualified authors.

Each chapter presents practical examples, anecdotes, ideas to develop critical thinking. Paths to build awareness, to think about issues together at school and at home, to say no to injustice.

The series opens with two books:

Viviana Mazza – Kibra Sebhat, I say no to racism. 10 words to understand the world

What does it mean to have a privilege, a white skin, when you are not even aware of it? What does it mean for someone when they leave everything behind to try and make a better life elsewhere? What does a young foreigner wanting to acquire Italian citizenship have to deal with?
The authors look for an answer to these and other questions, showing us how the prejudices at the root of racism are much more widespread than we think; but they also take us down a different path, where diversity is seen as an enrichment, co-existence as a necessary objective, anti-racism as the only possible response.

Viviana Mazza is a journalist on the foreign desk of “Il Corriere della Sera”. Her books, published by Mondadori, include Greta. La ragazza che sta cambiando il mondo and Storia di Malala, the first book in Italy to tell young people about Malala Yousafzai.
Kibra Sebhat, born in Rovigo in an Eritrean family, is an Afro-Italian native of Milan. She works in corporate communication, journalism and video productions. She was a member of Rete G2 – Seconde Generazioni, a non-partisan organisation that promotes the rights of the children of immigrants without Italian citizenship. Since 2012, she has been a contributor to “Il Corriere della Sera”.

Alberto Pellai – Barbara Tamborini, Io dico no al bullismo. 10 words to understand the world

There are victims of bullying, bullies, and the many people who witness these acts every day at school, on the sports field, online. How does it feel to be marginalised or mocked because of one’s appearance or diversity? What thoughts and emotions are triggered inside a bully and the person they target? What strategies can be used to protect oneself or others from the threat of bullying?

With strongly empathetic writing that examines even the most difficult emotions, the authors teach us that the first and most important thing to do is ask for help, and that a decisive response to bullying is possible when a group becomes a team.

Alberto Pellai is a physician, developmental psychotherapist and researcher at Milan University. In 2004 the Italian Ministry of Health awarded him a silver medal for merit in public health. Together with Barbara Tamborini, he is the co-author of many parenting and psychology best-sellers.
Barbara Tamborini is a psychopedagogist and writer. She holds educational workshops in schools and training courses for teachers and parents. Together with Alberto Pellai, she is the co-author of a number of parenting and psychology best-sellers.

Grocer’s boy, subtitle reader in the time of silent films, publisher: Arnoldo Mondadori was all of these and much more.

Fifty years after his death, the Fondazione Mondadori, in collaboration with the Mondadori publishing house, has organised a conference which, starting with the figure of the publisher himself, will reflect on the contemporary publishing sector by analysing its structure and characteristics, as well as the changes and challenges it faces today and in the future.

The meeting, which takes place today, Thursday 7 October, will be presented by Luca Formenton, Chairman of the Fondazione Mondadori and publisher of il Saggiatore, who will start bt talking about the main characteristics of Arnoldo Mondadori’s business life, his extraordinary intuition and uncommon ability to always look ahead.

“Semper et ulterius progredi: this is the Latin phrase engraved on the historic Mondadori brand, commissioned by my grandfather Arnoldo. Innovation and an eye on the future were constant features of his approach to the publishing business and it is this spirit that we want to remember today,” declared Luca Formenton, Chairman of Fondazione Mondadori and publisher of il Saggiatore.

In a historical moment in which the world is moving on from what has been the most serious economic and health crisis since the Second World War, the conference offers an opportunity to draw an overview of the various aspects of the publishing market, reflecting on the extraordinary ability of the book industry to evolve to survive, a demonstration of its capacity to “always progress”, thanks to the abilities of publishers and the intrinsic strength of the product.

“Publishing is based on the book as a textual form: beyond constantly changing mdeia and languages, the principal role of the publisher will always be to read, select and publish, no matter in what form,” said Enrico Selva Coddè, Deputy Chairman and CEO Trade of Mondadori Libri.

Following greeting from Antonio Porro, Chief Executive of the Mondadori Group, the conference will proceed with a dialogue with some of the leading figures from Italian and international publishing, presented and moderated by Mario Calabresi.

In presence or through video links, we will hear from Italian and international publishers, managers, writers and protagonists of the main elements of the publishing chain who will reflect on the changes affecting the profession of the publisher, the future for books in a an increasingly digitised world, the new challenges for physical bookshops and e-commerce, the role of social media and the big streaming platforms.

Taking part in the first session of the conference will be: Enrico Selva Coddè, Deputy Chairman and CEO Trade of Mondadori Libri; Núria Cabutí, CEO Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial; Antonio Sellerio, Publisher of Sellerio Morgan Entrekin, President and Publisher of Grove Atlantic Inc. and Eleonora Andreatta, Vice President Italian Language Originals Netflix, sharing a broad spectrum of views and experience.

The afternoon session will feature: Achille Mauri, Chairman of Messaggerie Italiane and Scuola per Librai Umberto e Elisabetta Mauri; Carlo Feltrinelli, CEO of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore and Chairman of Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli and Librerie Feltrinelli; James Daunt, CEO Barnes&Noble; Stefano Mauri, Chairman and CEO of GeMS; Helena Gustafsson, Chief Content Strategy Officer Storytel; Andrea Gentile, Associate Publisher il Saggiatore and the writer David Grossman.

In su la cima – A documentary
During the day there will also be the first presentation of a documentary film “In su la cima” by the director Chiara Brambilla which tells the story of Arnoldo Mondadori with first-hand accounts on video and images from the archives of his life as a publisher.

To my publisher. Dedications made to Arnoldo Mondadori – Volume II
To coincide with the conference, the volume Al mio editore. Dediche ad Arnoldo Mondadori will be published which is a series of dedications made to Arnoldo Mondadori, and in which the “heroic” biography becomes an opportunity to discuss some of the key moments and figures in the history of the publishing house and its catalogue. The key to this dual story is the dedications and cards by authors, addressed to Arnoldo Mondadori, collected starting on two distinct occasions: the dedications commissioned on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the publishing house, in 1957, bound in an album now preserved in the archive of Mimma Mondadori in the Fondazione Mondadori, and the dedications in the books of Arnoldo’s personal library, now preserved in Ostiglia. The book consists of a selection of these dedications – reproduced and transcribed – accompanied by an introduction that explains the selection criteria and shows the complexities of the relationship between author and publisher. The book was curated by Alberto Cadioli and is the result of close collaboration between the Mondadori publishing house and the Fondazione Mondadori and will be on sale from Monday 11 October.

The conference will be streamed live on the Facebook profile and YouTube channel of the Fondazione Mondadori, and on the LinkedIn page of the Mondadori Group starting at 10.30 today and will be available also on the Facebook page of the Mondadori publishing house.

Fifty years after the death of Arnoldo Mondadori, the Fondazione Arnoldo e Alberto Mondadori, in collaboration with our publishing house, is organising a conference on the present and future of publishing, taking the figure of the publisher as its starting point. A day to reflect on today’s publishing business, with an analysis of structure and characteristics, and on the changes and challenges to be met in the coming years.

Participants at the event, coordinated by journalist Mario Calabresi, will include some of the leading names in Italian and international publishing, who will attend in person or through video contributions.
During the morning, the conference will be addressed by Luca Formenton, Enrico Selva Coddè, Nùria Cabutí, Antonio Sellerio, Morgan Entrekin and Eleonora Andreatta. The speakers at the afternoon session will be Achille Mauri, Carlo Feltrinelli, James Daunt, Stefano Mauri, Helena Gustafsson, Andrea Gentile and David Grossman.

The conference will be held on Thursday 7 October starting at 10:30 am and will be visible to everyone in live streaming on the YouTube channel and the Facebook page of Fondazione Mondadori, as well as on the LinkedIn page of the Mondadori Group (divided into the first half and the second half, at 2:30 pm).