The Week of the Italian Language in the World is an event promoted yearly by the Italian cultural and diplomatic network in the third week of October. It focuses on a theme that acts as the leitmotif of a vast cultural programme to promote the diffusion of the Italian language.
The 18th edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, which takes place all over the world from 15 to 21 October 2018, will be dedicated to “The Italian Language and Its Networks”. This is a highly topical subject that will delve into the influences and interactions between the Italian language, the Net, new information technologies and social communications, including social platforms.
Upcoming Events:
Oct. 16: Bressani Literary Prize
- 6:30 PM @ Italian Cultural Centre | Free Admission | Pre-registration Required
- The Bressani Literary Prize was created to stimulate and enhance the literary production of works by Canadian authors of Italian origin or ancestry and is named after the Jesuit priest Father Francesco Giuseppe Bressani (Rome, 1612 – Florence, 1672) the first Italian missionary to Canada. Father Bressani published a significant book (Breve Relatione, «Brief Relation», 1653) which is considered to be one of the first Italian-Canadian literary works.
- The winner of the 2018 edition of the prize is George Amabile, with his Martial Music. Amabile will be presented with the award during the course of an evening hosted by Anna Ciampolini Foschi, that will include readings from the winning book, live music and a wine and cheese reception. The event is presented, within the framework of the “Week of the Italian Language in the World”, with the support of the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver.
Oct. 17: Italian Lettore’s Day: The Italian Language and Its Networks
- 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM @ UBC Buchanan Penthouse | Free Admission
- Connect with the Italian community at UBC, enjoy performances and learn about student clubs, study abroad opportunities and more! Reflect on how the Net, new information technologies and social media are influencing Italian language as well as the way it can be learned and taught nowadays.
Oct. 17: Screening of Fuori mira, by Erik Bernasconi
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM @ Italian Cultural Centre | Free Admission | RSVP Required
- On a sunny day in a quiet residential area, three shots were suddenly fired, disrupting the peace. Who fired the shots? Why, of all people, is an African the target? The search for the culprit unveils the dark side of the story that apparently exists in this perfectly integrated society. A lack of understanding turns into xenophobia and loathing, indifference into hate and violence. Obscure emotions are brought to the surface. Can the community succeed in preventing the worst once the balance has been upset?
Oct. 19-21: International Conference on the Legacy of Antonio Gramsci
- @ SFU Harbour Centre & Goldcorp Centre for the Arts | Free Admission
- The Department of Humanities at SFU presents an international conference on the legacy and continuing relevance of Gramsci’s work for our times. The 80-year anniversary of Antonio Gramsci’s death under the fascist regime has sparked renewed debates about Gramsci’s contribution to Marxist theory, his political and cultural critique, and the legacy of his thought—from his articulation of the role of “hegemony” in the formation of consensus within social and political structures to the work of the “organic intellectual” and the necessary conjunction of “theory and praxis.” Among the participants, prof. Giuseppe Vacca, an eminent scholar from the Gramsci Institute in Rome, will be one of the keynote speakers.
About the Week of Italian Language in the World:
The Week of the Italian Language in the World is an event promoted yearly by the cultural and diplomatic network in the third week of October. It focuses on a theme that acts as the leitmotif of a vast cultural programme to promote the diffusion of the Italian language. The initiative was launched in 2001 through the joint action of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Accademia della Crusca, which was subsequently joined by the Swiss Confederation, where Italian is one of the country’s official languages.
During these past 18 years, the Week of the Italian Language in the World has represented the Foreign Ministry’s privileged Italian promotion channel in terms of the number of activities simultaneously organised all over the world. The success is due to the growing engagement of the Italian and Italian-speaking communities abroad, along with local cultural institutions and a host of writers, poets, artists, teachers and academics who have passionately enlivened all the past editions by taking part in hundreds of conferences, meetings, lectures, refresher courses, thus opening a cultural and intercultural dialogue with other writers, artists, intellectuals and representatives of civil society in a large number of Countries.
Since 2013, the theme of the Week has dealt with the world of business and culture, highlighting the link between language and creativity.
