BookCity Milano 2026
Come cominciare by Edmund de Waal

To mark BookCity Milano 2026, the Fondazione Luigi Rovati presents a programme of talks exploring art, literature and history, featuring Edmund de Waal, Jan Brokken, Francesco Vezzoli, Laura Pepe and Dario Biagi.

These book presentations offer journeys across different periods and forms of expression: from finding one’s creative voice to the memory of places, from engaging with the classical legacy to reinterpreting women’s roles in the ancient world, and rediscovering a leading figure in twentieth-century Italian art.

The programme also includes an event for young children and their families as part of the new BookCity Milano 0–6 initiative, which promotes reading from early childhood.

The series opens on Sunday 22 November at 4 pm with a keynote lecture by Edmund de Waal, marking the publication of Come cominciare, Bollati Boringhieri (How to Begin). An internationally renowned ceramic artist and author of The Hare with Amber Eyes, de Waal takes as his starting point a discovery in the family archives: the unpublished correspondence between his grandmother Elisabeth Ephrussi and Rainer Maria Rilke. Through these letters, he reflects on the journey towards becoming an artist, the search for one’s own creative voice and the significance of encountering a mentor.

The event will be introduced by Giovanna Forlanelli, President of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati.

The talk will be held in a foreign language, with interpretation provided.

Admission to the talks is free. Booking is recommended.
Tickets for the talks do not include admission to the Art Museum.
Recordings of the talks will be published on the Fondazione’s YouTube channel.