The May of Books returns to Borgo Valbelluna.
The program prepared by the municipality of Borgo Valbelluna to participate in the national initiative The May of Books is rich. Born in 2011 with the aim of highlighting the social value of books as a key element of personal, cultural, and civic growth, The May of Books is a national campaign that invites bringing books and reading into contexts different from traditional ones, to reach those who usually do not read but can be intrigued if stimulated in the right way.
In its mission, The May of Books actively involves local authorities, schools, libraries, bookstores, festivals, publishers, cultural associations, and various public and private entities. In Italy and beyond: every year, indeed, the campaign crosses national borders, uniting different realities in a common passion for reading, such as Italian schools abroad. Thanks to the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, numerous events have been held in various countries over the editions.
It starts on May 6 at the Library in Lentiai with “Cuddles to Read,” a moment dedicated to the youngest children, aged 0 to 3 years. A moment of readings and sharing not only for the little ones but also for their moms and dads. It will then proceed with two kamishibai, a form of storytelling that originated in Japan in the Buddhist temples of the 12th century and can be translated as “paper theater performance.”
There will be a double appointment with KamiLab, on the 8th at the Library in Trichiana (Every face is a poem) and on the 15th in Lentiai (The box of memories), both at 5 PM.
Also on the 15th, this time at the library in Trichiana, the exhibition “Blessed Spring” will be inaugurated, a collection of watercolors curated by the group telling Acquarellando, an artistic reality led by Donata Dal Molin that has long combined refined techniques and poetic imaginations designed to engage children and adults. The exhibition will remain open until June 16, 2026, and will be accessible for free during library hours (Mon-Fri 3 PM - 6 PM; Wed and Sat 9 AM - 12 PM). The path collects a series of works that highlight the delicacy and complexity of watercolor, a technique capable of transforming spots and washes into vivid and evocative worlds. Many of the displayed watercolors come from illustrated books created over the years by the group, which has managed to transform each table into a visual story capable of moving. The artists involved—Alberta Bassetto, Silvia Bazzo, Flavio Cortella, Laura Fistarol, Tiziana Furlan, Alessandra Seganfreddo, and Martina Zanusso—actually collaborate regularly with Donata Dal Molin in creating stories for children that combine sign, color, and narrative sensitivity. The themes of the works on display range from "Flowered Heads" to imaginary castles, to illustrations of "The Canticle of Creatures" by Saint Francis, of which the eighth centenary of the death is celebrated in 2026. The Group will then curate an afternoon of readings for girls and boys taken from their books (May 22 at 4:00 PM for the 0-3 age group, at 5:15 PM for the 6-12 age group).
Two events are instead dedicated to an adult audience. On May 13, at 8:30 PM, at the Hall of Frescoes in the municipality of Mel, the Venetian publishing house Wetlands will present the title “They Killed Habibi” by Shrouq Aila, an award-winning journalist from Gaza, who tells in a touching and poignant book the life of a mother during the war. As a sign of solidarity and support for the Palestinian people, the entire editorial production chain, from editors to translators, from graphic designers to printers, participated in the making of this book for free. The proceeds from sales, including international rights, are entirely donated to the author. The readers of the group Voices of Passage will give voice to the testimony. On May 28, the evening will instead be dedicated to the illustrated book and the importance of images with the meeting asking, “Why do human beings love stories?” On TV, at the cinema, in the theater, around the fire… in books. An evening to reflect and tell together through the experience of two writers; to explore the power of images, with the reading of an illustrated book, and of words, with the reading of a tale from popular tradition; to share stories and legends of the area. We will do this with Federica Ortolan, a writer of narratives and illustrated books for children, teenagers, and adults, and Anselmo Roveda, a writer and scholar of literature and imagination, a professor at ISIA in Urbino, deputy director of "Andersen," a monthly magazine of literature and illustration for the world of childhood, and director of "Cabirda," a review for Romance intercomprehension. The meeting is co-organized and funded by the Ottica Martini of Mel. On the occasion of the May of Books, the municipal administration will gift a book to all the girls and boys in the nursery and kindergartens of the Municipality of Borgo Valbelluna, a symbolic gesture to promote and encourage reading from early childhood.
“The May of Books is increasingly shaping up to be a highly anticipated event within the cultural calendar of Borgo Valbelluna. It aims to be strongly focused on activities for girls and boys, giving the opportunity to experience the spaces of the library also for laboratory and creative activities. The choice to include an exhibition, albeit focused on the world of books, within the library spaces, moves in this direction of enjoying the spaces not only for lending and reading. Particularly significant are the meetings planned for the adult audience, with the presence of the Wetlands publishing house, which has acted as a voice often silenced of a Gazan woman and the meeting with Ortolan and Roveda, influential voices in the world of the illustrated book and childhood narrative, which concludes a path promoted for teachers of Borgo Valbelluna on these themes,” informs the administration’s councilor for culture, Chiara Scarton.
