The Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Beirut is pleased to invite the public to the presentation of the Arabic translation of The Anniversary, the novel by Andrea Bajani, winner of the Premio Strega 2025.Among the earliest translations of the work into a foreign language, the Arabic edition has been conceived with the aim of promoting Italian publishing abroad and fostering dialogue between distinct literary scenes and readerships. The presentation thus seeks to offer a space for critical exchange between literatures and cultural contexts, while foregrounding the universal resonance of one of the central voices of contemporary Italian fiction. Published by Feltrinelli, The Anniversary is a novel which, through a sober and incisive prose, transforms a private experience into a broader meditation on authority, silence, and the transmission of power within familial bonds. Ten years after his final visit to his parents, the narrator returns to interrogate his family history and the dynamics of power that governed it. Critics have widely interpreted the novel as a forceful reflection on domestic patriarchy, memory, and the sometimes necessary act of withdrawing from the “official version” of relationships. Bajani has been unanimously praised for his ability to hold together private remembrance and collective inquiry, and for articulating a lucid, indispensable narrative voice, resolutely free from rhetorical concession. The event will be introduced by Charif Majdalani, a leading figure in contemporary narrative fiction, and moderated by Nanette Ziadé, who will guide Majdalani’s contribution and the ensuing discussion with the audience. Also in attendance, and participating in the conversation, will be Najm Abou Fadel, translator of the work, and Angelo Gioè, Director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Beirut.
The Anniversary, also published in English (Penguin Books) and French (L’Anniversaire, Gallimard), is available in its Arabic translation from the Lebanese publisher Dar El Saqi.