THEthe Turin International Book Fair is preparing to reopen the doors of Lingotto Fiere from 14 to 18 May 2026. Now in its thirty-eighth edition, the Turin event is not only the most important editorial event in Italy, but a true collective ritual that this year promises to be more vital than everthe. Under the guidance of Annalena Benini, reconfirmed as director for another three years after past successes, This year the Salone chooses to look to the future with the eyes of hope and change.
Turin Book Fair, the 2026 theme: the rebellious and poetic spirit
This year’s common thread draws inspiration by one of the most powerful voices of our twentieth century: Elsa Morante. The title chosen, “The world saved by kids“, takes up the famous work from 1968 and invites us to reflect on the exuberant strength of the new generations. The idea of the organizers is to celebrate a youth that is not just age-related, but a state of mind made of irreverence, poetry and the ability to imagine a different way of being together.
Literary geographies: between the temples of Greece and the green heart of Umbria
Every year the Book Fair chooses special traveling companions to enrich its cultural journey. For 2026, Greece will be the host countrybringing the richness of its thousand-year-old and contemporary literature to Turin. At the same time, the host region will be Umbriawhich will talk about its traditions and its editorial liveliness within a dedicated space in the Oval pavilion.
From May 14th to 18th at the Lingotto in Turin, the Book Fair will begin, an eagerly awaited event and as always full of surprises. (Handle)
The great protagonists: from Nobel Prize winner László Krasznahorkai to Zadie Smith
The meeting calendar is, as always, very rich. The honor of The English writer Zadie Smith will officially inaugurate the fair on Thursday 14 Maywho will give a masterclass entitled “Everything was extreme. And it still is. A reflection on adolescence”. Among the corridors of the Lingotto it will be possible to meet giants of world literature such as the Nobel Prize 2025 László Krasznahorkai, the Israeli writer David GrossmanFrench Emmanuel Carrère and the much-loved Scottish author Irvine Welsh. There will be no shortage of cult names like Peter Cameron, Abraham Verghese and the mystery writer Petros Markaris.
New spaces and the doubling of the phenomenon Romance
For those who love to experience the Show physically, there are great logistical news. In addition to the historic pavilions and the Oval, Pavilion 5 makes its debuta multifaceted space that will host the business area in the first days and then transform into the “Club”, a place dedicated to stand-up comedy and the new languages of communication. But the news that will make thousands of readers happy is doubling the Romance pop-up. Given the overwhelming success of past editions, meetings with the authors of love stories and “meet&greets”will move to the spaces of the UCI Cinema Torino Lingotto on Saturday and Sunday, offering much more space and comfort to meet their favorites.
A program that speaks to everyone: art, cinema and psychology
The 2026 Salon is structured into special sections, each curated by a prominent personality: cinema by Francesco Piccolo which will take you behind the scenes of the films. Among the most anticipated guests, the director and actress Paola Cortellesiwhich will tell the story of the genesis of his success “There’s still tomorrow”.
The art is curated by Melania G. Mazzucco which will explore the lives of artists, talking among others with the Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulić on iconic figures such as Frida Kahlo. The “growing up” section is curated by the psychotherapist Matteo Lancini, which will address the themes of adolescence and social networks with guests such as Daria Bignardi and the rapper Ernia. Still, the unpublished section “The world saved by kids”curated by five very young professionals who will talk about love in the times of “likes”, artificial intelligence and activism.
Beyond books: music and nature
The Salon is not just books, as we know. Thursday 14 May, the Lingotto Auditorium will host Alessandro Baricco for his “Notte eretica”, a show that combines narration and classical music. Rai will also be present with Radio3, which it will curate a pre-inauguration evening on May 13th with Vinicio Capossela.
Growing up: the courage of metamorphosis
The 2026 edition of the Turin International Book Fair he also delves into the folds of society and the human soulproposing paths that intertwine personal experiences with great collective challenges. The hot topics that will animate the debates at Lingotto will be, first of all, the topic of trainingthat delicate and often painful moment in which you stop being a child. runs through the entire event program. One of the most anticipated events will see Niccolò Ammaniti in dialogue with Jovanotti: at the center, the writer’s new novel, The Guardian, an immersion in the dark secrets that mark the transition to adulthood.
“Training” according to international masters
The Salon will also host international masters of the genre, such as the American Peter Cameronauthor of the cult “One day this pain will be useful to you”, which will meet young readers to talk about how to transform the discomfort of adolescence into writing. The growth stories will then be tinged with global colors: from the picaresque and painful tale of Andrev Walden in “Damned Men”, to the story of the native Canadian boys torn from their families in “Maikan” by Michel Jeanup to the “Sarajevo” of Tijan Silawhere you learn to become adults amidst the rubble of war.
Female genealogies at the Turin Book Fair
Feminism cannot be missing from the Salone. A feminism that is not just theorybut a living story of resistance and identity. A special tribute will be dedicated to Elsa Morantethe inspiration for this edition, through the lessons of Giulia Caminito And Chiara Valerio. Reflection on gender violence will be profound and necessary: the Mauritian writer Nathacha Appanah will present “The Night of the Heart”, a raw investigation into the lives broken by companions.
Words are important
The sociolinguist Vera Gheno will lead a panel where will analyze how the web and society continue to be hostile places for women. There will be moments of entertainment and provocation, such as the “Ernaux Variations”, inspired by Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux, and the “Feminist Comedy Manual” by Luisa Merloni. Big names like Dacia Maraini and Ilaria Capua will bring their contribution: the first by rediscovering the writers forgotten by history, the second by ironically denouncing the paternalism that still afflicts the world of science.
War trajectories: understanding the world to disarm the future
In an era marked by global conflicts, the Salon becomes a haven for in-depth analysis. There journalist Francesca Mannocchi will present his new poetic collection “Growing up, war”, while Cecilia Sala and Rula Jebreal they will offer direct testimonies from the hot fronts of the Middle East, between Palestine, Israel and Iran. Interesting Federico Faloppa’s reflection on the “militarization of language”: an invitation to disarm first of all the words we use every day.
And finally peace
The French historian Jean-Pierre Filiu will reconstruct the thousand-year history of Gaza, while Paolo Giordano will coordinate a meeting with the most important Italian reporters to understand how a conflict is reported today, without falling into propaganda. In the end, a ray of hope: Nicola Lagioia will lead a meeting dedicated to peaceinspired by the historic Perugia-Assisi march, to remember that literature and culture remain the most powerful tools for building bridges where others raise walls.