The myth goes that Japan was born by divine will from a spear immersed in the ocean: the lumps of salt that dripped from its tip when it was extracted formed the first island.
This story gives us the essence of an archipelago country made up of large and tiny islands, populous and uninhabited, hospitable and inaccessible which contain stories full of beauty and mystery. Fragments that maintain their individuality while being part of a more complex whole.
The path of this atlas that goes from snowy Hokkaidō to tropical Okinawa is made of truth and narration: the islands are true – history, nature, geography, culture – and their exploration is narrative. Acting as guides are imagined voices that make accessible even those territories that are not accessible and recall traditions, ancient rituals, battles. Whoever reads will see iconic places like Itsukushima, from whose waters the great vermilion torii rises, or less well-known places like Fukuejima, where children, on the occasion of the obon, transform into dancing foxes.
The vivid writing of Francesca Scotti, who has made Japan her second home, and the evocative illustrations of Uragami Kazuhisawhich with its style fills the eyes with enchantment, gives us back with grace and respect the life and spirituality of a country that never ceases to fascinate.
Friday 5th at 9pm at Readers’ club the presentation of the book will be held
con Eloisa Morra e Asuka Ozumi
edited by Literary Cooperative
in collaboration with CISLE, Luxemburg International Bookshop and Bompiani
Francesca Scotti was born in Milan and since 2011 has divided her time between Italy and Japan. She graduated from the Conservatory and graduated in law. In 2011 she made her debut with the collection of short stories Something similar (Italic), selected for Giovani at the Festivaletteratura, winner of the Fucini prize and finalist for the Joyce Lussu prize.
He has published, among others, Il Cuore Inexpert (Elliot 2015), Ellissi (Bompiani 2017), Capacitance Vital (Bompiani 2019).
He collaborates with director Alessandra Pescetta, and writes subjects and screenplays for short films and films.
He deals with projects involving music and writing, collaborates with Palazzo Marino in Musica, MAME (Mediterranean Ambassadors Music Experience), and with the “G. Verdi” in Milan.
His stories and reports have been published in various Italian and foreign magazines, including La Lettura, Nuovi Argomenti, Granta, RVM, Quanto, Bezoar, The Italian Review. The anthology she edited is from 2022 The animal room (Il Saggiatore), the album The enchantment of the dark(Orecchio Acerbo) with illustrations by Claudia Palmarucci and the collection of short stories Turtle time (Hajj).