Umbrialibri returns: 160 events, many famous names, and artistic direction by Nicola Lagioia.

Dialogue, openness, inclusiveness, healing, and regeneration through books: these are the cornerstones of UmbriaLibri 2025, the Umbria Region's literary festival, now in its thirty-first year, dedicated to the "States of Nature." Under the new artistic direction of Nicola Lagioia, over 160 events are scheduled between the two dates in Perugia (October 24-26 at the Rocca Paolina Exhibition Center) and Terni (November 28-30 at the Bct - Municipal Library), featuring many writers and intellectuals. Literary performances, conferences, shows, and presentations of recently released books are also featured.

Among the names Paolo Nori, Giorgio Vallortigara, Paola Caridi, Elena Stancanelli, Chiara Faggiolani, Fabio Stassi, Antonella Lattanzi, Fabio Bacà, Jan Brokken, Frank Westerman, Gipi, Domenico Starnone, Maria Grazia Calandrone, Matteo Nucci, David Szalay, Romana Petri, Antonio Manzini, Emanuele Trevi, Viola Ardone, Daria Bignardi, Concita De Gregorio, Nicoletta Verna, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Chiara Valerio, Melania Mazzucco and many others.

Preview on October 22nd and 23rd with a meeting dedicated to slow tourism, communication, and travel literature. October 23rd will also see the "First AIB (Italian Library Association) Day of Umbrian Libraries," organized in collaboration with the Region.

The book fair and market will feature approximately 50 Umbrian publishing houses, with volumes dedicated to social issues, history, and art, as well as novels and comics. Umbrian publishers and authors will also be featured in UmbriaLibri Off, a series of events leading up to the festival's opening. Starting Saturday, October 18th, and running through Thursday, October 23rd, Umbrian publishing houses will organize book presentations, events, and themed meetings open to all. A meeting dedicated to independent bookstores in Umbria is also scheduled.

And this edition will also feature young readers. Special workshops, exhibitions, and events will be dedicated to children and teens, thanks to the collaboration with the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

UmbriaLibri 2025 will also involve the Perugia and Terni penitentiaries, organizing two meetings with authors and donating books. Special attention will be given to Umbrian comics and graphic novels, and publishers will also hold a conference on the language of comics. Finally, the association's collaboration with the Severino Cesari Association continues. In addition to its commitment to the National Award for First Works, the association—also thanks to the support of the Umbrian Legislative Assembly—will be present at UmbriaLibri this year with the Cesari Method, meetings on the subject of book professions, starting with the fundamental role of the editor.

As for this year's theme, Lagioia explains: "What era have we entered? What shape has our existence in the world taken? We live amid wars, growing injustice, democracies under attack, and a barbarization of public debate, but there are also admirable attempts to rebuild relationships, build bridges, not accept the world as it is, and restore meaning to community life, in a context we see transforming before our eyes at a dizzying speed. Books are now more than ever a tool for shaping a time that would otherwise be unreadable."

www.umbrialibri.com