TOthey are up with joy The last exit of their favorite writer and then it follow on social media, in the square or in the bookstore. They write – like Madame the préscent on medium.com – «Let me start like a groupie: or my God! Or my God! Or my God! I love Chimamanda! ” To talk about the new novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The inventory of dreams (Einaudi). They say they are “collectors of autographed books” and chasing idols like Elizabeth Gilbert And David Sedaris. It is the people of “Literary Groupism”a phenomenon also landed in Italy that records Folle to the events, files to the Inscopeof the Turin Book Fair and beyond … because the news is this: Writers are our new myths.
Chiara Valerio, in one of his direct on Instagram, adds that if so many are organized literary festivals It is because they are meetings that most concern the politics of literature. Concern one “need”, In reality, what the bodies of meet and clash.
And that’s how the very crowded appointments with Roberto Emanuelli they act as pendant with those of the American Rebecca Ross that at the last lounge was surrounded by girls dressed with white veils for a bachelorette party: they were giving her friend the meeting on Infinite fire. Among the three hundred people lined up for the firmacopiethere were Francesca, 36 years old, tattoo artist (“By now I follow her everywhere”), and Roberta, 31 years old, employed, in tears: “I had the brain in tilt. I comment his stories On Instagram because I feel I have one Emotional and literary connection With her, “he says. The Ross, for his part, says: «A reader once asked me to invent a word And to write it in the book I had to sign ».
The authors of certain books are almost an existential point of reference and knowing them in person becomes essential (illustration of Eloïse Heinzer).
Family secrets
Call them Writer Groupies. Or people Waiting for the next firmacopie Or of the change of looks on the social networks of their heart writer who, who came down from the ivory tower, is perhaps less mysterious but certainly more accessible … “In the mid -nineteenth century, just before he died, Dickens made a long tour in the USA. He was not in great shape but he wanted to read his works aloud. Writers actually have always met the readersperhaps today it seems that they do it more because It is amplified by social media “ confesses the writer Nadia Terranova. «I read all the emails and I reply. The moments when I go around For my books they are very moving. Especially when you pulled out things from family secrets And someone says to you: “Thanks, it happened to me too.” Once a guy He came to tell me how my meeting held six years earlier in his school had him changed life. Now study letters ».
Author Nadia Terranova (ANSA/MASSIMO BULL)
These are different fans, at least Compared to the Groupies (musical) of the sixties arranged to everything in the backstage with theirs Rock myths. To the literary ones, perhaps a selfie together would be enough, a moment of intimacy to the firmacopie, a like on their posts and then perhaps a friendship. “I call myself a reader of Nadia,” says Flavia, 28 years old, Roman. “You are the confirmation of the Power that has reading in creating connections. I read by chance Goodbye to the ghosts, I wrote them and replied. I had the lighting for its presentation for the Thesis of my master And I interviewed her. Since then I have dealt with his newsletter, I tidy up his library After a move e We have become friends. Nadia taught me to live rising Shadow areas of my personality And to start others without fear ».
Are words of strong friendship and resemble those of Antonia Guida, 26 years old, residing in Ravenna, who She defines herself “admirer” by Stefania Andreolipsychotherapist and writer. “As etymology says, I am one who” looks at it with wonder “. I met her first in Bologna and then in Naples, I also handed them down a letter. Following it for me is to live a meeting full of meaning. It affects me the way you use the words for delicate events. In the story of Giacomo in I do it for me (Rizzoli) I found part of mine ».
The words of Antonia are of those who embarrass Andreolithey make her feel in defect. «If I weren’t so followed, my job would be different, I know. At the same time, however, i gifts in the studio, emails, or tears Some are overwhelming: it is as if I had to demonstrate more in order not to lose this estimate “he confesses. “Yes, social networks have barriented barriers And I use them, I go to meets in front of thousands of people. And it is always unpredictable. Sometimes they come with dedications who have written themselves and want them to sign them, others want that Write a sentence of mine and then tattoo it or embroider on a shirt ».
Saved from solitude
In short, it happens. Also to get in tune with someone never seen: Michael Bible41 years old, New York writer, is More followed in Italy than at home. To the point that in Rome the Urban Book Club Community, or the first itinerant book community of Italy, chose it as Reading of the month of July. «I write because the books have me saved from loneliness And I’m not much on social media. See that the others, however, contact me there to tell me that I subtracted them from isolation is a reward Very high. Read resembles one Private conversation between writer and readercuriosity is natural »confesses Bible, author of Goodbye Hotel and of THELast beautiful thing about the face of the earth (Adelphi), The books chosen by Martina Coticolla, born in 1987, to read them with those of the Urban Community founded by her.
“When I made the post on the meeting, Bible immediately shared him and I invited him to Rome, we hope will come soon,” he says. “Getting in touch with an author is like creating A bridge between our reality and his thoughts. Bible tells of an era that the millennials know well, that is, when the internet was at the dawnand does another thing: it suggests various roads to take In front of the events, it’s up to you not to stop at the First impression. Sometimes, however, it tells you that you don’t need to understand everything and I try a great sense of freedom ».
Noemi Orlando, 34 years old, is also convinced that it is social light. «Bible has almost three thousand followers and only twenty -one posts, thanks to them I know that He has a dog and who every now and then puts his hand to Synth Pop music. I bought one of his books twice after two years, I understood the second and I fell in love. With him realize that the facts of life Sometimes they are “neither evil nor a good”. Counts the will to live And, in his case, to be remembered ».
I looked for a ride
Marina, 27, from Desio, remembered Francesca Biella (595 thousand followers), the influencer he had stopped following because it was too beautiful not to envy her. “I was looking for it online because I wanted to have his life and his family: I was among so many difficulties, “he says. “Then one day I read about his pain for the separation of parents, of how do not appreciate everything about his body And, above all, of the diary that was publishing … I remembered that in those days my psychologist advised me to keep one: I realize that the biella is not perfect. I buy it, it helps me and I want to tell him to the Milan meeting. I write a post for Look for a ride because I suffer from social anxiety and I do not take the means. Francesca shares it EE I am contacted. I went, I was happy ».
Marina is the same age of the author of Today it will be beautiful (Mondadori)a Journaling who speaks of well -being starting from personal anecdotes. “It is the reason why they ask me more and more things about my life,” says Biella. “I receive messages since I had motivational videosbut now they contact me to thank me for how they feel “understood” with the book. At the crowded encounters of girls they always get excited, even if I would never go to that of my favorite writer: Joel Dicker! What tells me from afar is enough for me and I keep it ».
Someone is displaced
In fact, the risk that the “Myth” live is other From the idea we made is high. «To presentations people hold my hand, He would like to hug me »intervenes the writer Roberta Recchia. «When though I say I have no children, some remain displaced… they don’t expect it, since I speak of maternity. A mother one day came to thank me why In my pages He had found the words for the pain of the death of his son ».
Among his fans there are also those who followed him when he went to withdraw a literary prize. “It was so heavy that I brought him home with me because she had to take a train for another meeting,” recalls Gabriel Uccheddu, 24, from Rome. “With Roberta it was love” at the first word “. I met him by chance in the bookstore and since then Let’s go together with the concerts, help on social networks, Let’s talk about the book phone And then I like to spur it on ». A doubt arises: If the term “Groupie” is born to the female, would one be needed to find one in the male? Maybe not. Everyone is as fan as they want but the power to create one virtuous network of people It only belongs to one thing, beautiful and mysterious: lèggere