The new edition of Stràngius – Literature Festival kicks off on Thursday, 4 September 2025, in Serramanna (SU). Now in its eighth edition, the International Autobiography Literature Festival Stràngius is organised by the Municipality of Serramanna in collaboration with the Associazione Città della Terra Cruda, with the patronage of the Sardinia Region.
The festival, hosted in the evocative bixinaus antigusu—the courtyards of traditional Campidanese adobe houses—was created to honour the figure of Vico Mossa, a native of Serramanna: an architect of extraordinary talent, a scholar of Sardinian history and cultural specificities, and the author of the autobiographical novel I cabilli. Conceived as a cultural and civic project, the festival is made possible thanks to the contribution of numerous local associations. Its aim is to create meaningful opportunities for dialogue and exchange between different worlds and cultures.
The 2025 edition will take place in two phases: from 4 to 6 September and from 10 to 14 September, featuring a programme of book presentations, literary readings and exhibitions. In November, from 10 to 14, Stràngius a Scuola will take place—the section dedicated to students.
Words from the Councillor for Culture, Giovanni Maccioni
“This year, the chosen theme—Resistances. Between the uncompromising pursuit of freedom and opposition to totalitarianism and oppression—powerfully calls us to one of the most urgent needs of our time: to listen to, understand and preserve the stories of those who had the courage to resist, of those who chose freedom even when it came at a high cost, of those who became voices, witnesses and examples.
This is precisely the heart of Stràngius: collecting the living memories of the present and giving space to words that tell the world from within, through personal experience, authenticity and commitment. And doing so in the bixinaus antigusuof Serramanna—in the courtyards of adobe houses—means bringing storytelling back to where it began: places of community, dialogue and listening.
This year’s programme is exceptionally rich, with extraordinary Italian and international guests who will share invaluable testimonies. I will mention just a few of the names honouring this edition: Felicia Vitale Impastato, Teresa Manes, Luca Casarini, Maram al-Masri, Michel Cassir, Vittorino Mason, Mario Capanna, and many others.
But Stràngius is not just an event. It is a cultural, educational and civic project. This is also evident in Stràngius a Scuola, which will take place in November and will engage students in a reflective journey around the themes of memory and identity.
I would therefore like to thank all those who make this possible: the Associazione Città della Terra Cruda; the artistic director Giuseppe Manias, for his tireless and visionary work; Mayor Gabriele Littera, for his constant support; and all collaborators, volunteers and institutional partners, starting with the Sardinia Region.
As the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Serramanna, we are proud to support Stràngius. Because we believe in a living, rooted and accessible culture—a culture that educates, unites and resists.
We look forward to welcoming you to Serramanna. It will not be just a festival: it will be an experience.”
The theme of the 2025 edition
The guiding theme of this year is “Resistances. Between the uncompromising pursuit of freedom and opposition to totalitarianism and oppression.”
“The word resistance comes from the Latin resistentia, from resistere, composed of re- (back) and sistere (to stop). Its etymology suggests standing one’s ground, pushing back, refusing to yield to a force or pressure,” explains artistic director Giuseppe Manias.
“In this festival, we have chosen to tell different forms of Resistance, recalling the words of the great partisan Sandro Pertini: ‘I am not a hero. I am just a man who said no.’”
Opening day: The Resistance of Mothers
The first event will take place on Thursday, 4 September, with an evening dedicated to the theme “The Resistance of Mothers”, at Casa Rifa (Via Trento 18):
- 6:00 pm – Meeting with Felicia Vitale Impastato, presentation of the book Da Felicia a Felicia. In ricordo di Peppino Impastato (Navarra). Moderated by Valeria Melis.
- 7:15 pm – Meeting with Teresa Manes, presentation of the book Andrea oltre il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa(Fabbri). Moderated by Alessio Onnis.
This will be followed by a literary reading curated by the cultural association Il Pungolo.
Guests
Among the guests of this edition: Maram al-Masri, Alberto Bocchetta, Mario Capanna, Luca Casarini, Michel Cassir, Francesco Casula, Beniamino Deidda, Monica Giorgi, Giulio Guarini, Felicia Vitale Impastato, Tommaso Juhasz, Teresa Manes, Serena Marchi, Vittorino Mason, Ian McKinley, Renato Franco Natale, Laura Orlandini.
Full biographies are available at 👉 www.strangiusfestival.it/autori-2025
Programme
The festival will unfold over eight days, each dedicated to a specific sub-theme:
- Thursday, 4 September – The Resistance of Mothers
- Friday, 5 September – Resisting for the Environment
- Saturday, 6 September – Resisting Injustice
- Wednesday, 10 September – Resisting through Poetry
- Thursday, 11 September – Ho-tanta … di 80 di resistenza
- Friday, 12 September – Resistentis
- Saturday, 13 September – Resisting through Sport
- Sunday, 14 September – Resisting for a Better World
The full programme is available at 👉 www.strangiusfestival.it/programma-2025
Awards and exhibitions
During the festival, the literary awards “Franco Putzolu: Witness of Sardinian Identity” and “Vico Mossa: Witness of Our Time” will be presented.
From 4 to 14 September, every day from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, two exhibitions will be open to the public:
- Vivo sono partigiano. Nino a Gaza — an exhibition by Francesco Del Casino, curated by Francesco Virdis, hosted at the Church of San Sebastiano (Via Serra 42).
- Stràngius a stràngius: resisting time and trends — curated by the Associazione Tradizioni Popolari Serramanna, at the Montegranatico (Via Montegranatico).
The exhibition programme will continue in October and November with two additional shows:
- Le Resistenze di Putzolu — cartoons by Franco Putzolu.
- Resistenze. 8 years of Stràngius — a photographic exhibition curated by Giulia Camba, Deborah Succa and Giuseppe Manias.
Photos by Giulia Camba