Aperitivo d'Autore con Daniele Mencarelli

**Volta la carta** is pleased to welcome back to **Aperitivo d'Autore** one of Italy's foremost writers, author of novels such as *Tutto chiede salvezza* and *La casa degli sguardi*: **Daniele Mencarelli**. On this occasion, he will present his new book, ***Quattro presunti familiari***, the first published by **Sellerio**.

Join us on **May 30** in **Massafra**, at **Masseria Ciura**, a charming location where the Volta la carta format returns with great pleasure, just over a year since the last event. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a delightful aperitif prepared by **Le Vetrine del Gusto** and excellent wines from **Giustini**. It starts at **7:30 PM**.

In this crime novel, Mencarelli does something new and perhaps unexpected. Surrounding an enigma that awakens unresolved pains in the characters, he reveals a dark world, steeped in desire and nostalgia for power, strength, and violence. In these shadows, the souls that the Roman writer knows how to portray move, figures stained by guilt, intoxicated by mistakes and dreams. Within them lies the most precious treasure, the light of redemption and salvation, the moment of illumination where evil becomes truth. He will discuss this at Aperitivo d’Autore with **Vincenzo Parabita**.

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**Entry by ticket exclusively in advance via the Postoriservato circuit at the following link https://bit.ly/4th5oPT and at authorized PostoRiservato sales points**
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For more information: 380.4385348 - aperitivodautore@gmail.com

*• THE AUTHOR •*
Daniele Mencarelli was born in Rome in 1974. His poetic works, starting with his debut in the magazine clanDestino, gained recognition especially through the collection "Bambino Gesù" (Edizioni Nottetempo). He is the author of five novels, all published by Mondadori: "La casa degli sguardi" (2018, Premio Volponi, Premio Severino Cesari Opera Prima, Premio John Fante Opera Prima), "Tutto chiede salvezza" (2020, Premio Strega Giovani, from which the Netflix series of the same name is adapted), "Sempre tornare" (2021, Premio Flaiano for narrative), "Fame d’aria" (2023, Premio Clara Sereni), and "Brucia l’origine" (2024, Premio Ugo Riccarelli). In 2024, "Degli amanti non degli eroi" marks his return to poetry. This year in January, *Quattro presunti familiari* (Sellerio) was released. A few weeks ago, he won the Premio Campiello Junior (11-14 years category) with the book "Adelmo che voleva essere Settimo" (Mondadori). He collaborates with various newspapers and magazines, writing about culture and society.

*• THE BOOK •*
In the woods around the town of Norma, in the province of Latina, a skeleton is found with some patches of skin. These poor remains ended up in the brush many years ago; only chance and specific environmental conditions have preserved them. The case is being handled by the Carabinieri of Latina, particularly Marshal Damasi and Appointed Circosta, a young man without many pretensions or qualities, but with an insatiable hunger for experience. A name must be given to those bones; hence, four people are summoned, four presumed relatives. In total, three families have reported, at a time compatible with the state of the remains, the disappearance of a loved one. Whoever has the same DNA recovered from the skeleton will win a lottery of years filled with hopes and fruitless searches. They will finally be able to mourn their missing relative. In this novel, Daniele Mencarelli does something new and perhaps unexpected. Surrounded by an enigma that stirs secret words and awakens unresolved pains in the characters, he shows us an intensely dark world, steeped in desire and nostalgia for power, strength, and violence. Cementing it is an energy that comes from afar, never gone, always transforming, crystallized in the streets, in the architecture, in the history of a city, Latina, which for some continues to be called Littoria. An energy that enters bodies and minds, becoming a hateful impulse, an explosion of frustrated virility, a fierce gesture, and relentless authority, marked by uniforms and a habit of oppression, defining order and hierarchy. In these shadows move the souls that Mencarelli, like few others, knows how to tell, figures stained by guilt, accustomed to despair, intoxicated by mistakes and dreams. Within them lies the most precious treasure, the light of redemption and salvation, the illuminating moment when evil becomes truth, unbound and uncoerced.

*• THE LOCATION •*
Masseria Ciura was built in the early 1600s in Massafra at the behest of the Ciura baronial family. It is one of the best examples of noble residences and is located in a 60-hectare estate. A piece of land that the Ciura family chose to create a plantation that reflected life itself: extraordinary oil, oranges, mandarins, and lemons. Masseria Ciura was a community space, an extended family where children from the surrounding lands were educated in the village school, an act that embodied a hope: education as a key to redemption. And, like every story that has roots in the past, the story of the masseria has seen the passage of time and, along with it, new faces, new hands that have continued to trace the path of a tradition never abandoned. Over the centuries, the site has undergone various transformations, especially during the Baroque period when many Apulian masserias, including Ciura, were expanded and embellished, becoming country residences for nobles and wealthy landowners. The buildings were enriched with fine architectural elements, such as sculpted stone portals, barrel and star vaults, and internal courtyards. In the 19th century, the masseria continued to prosper thanks to agricultural production, particularly olive oil and wine. Today, the current owner, Stefano Montanaro, and his family embody those who have inherited a dream, not only ensuring the continuity of the agricultural production that the Ciura family started but also fully embracing Thomas Ciura's dream: transforming the masseria into a place of sincere hospitality. Every event celebrated at the masseria is an unforgettable journey, an explosion of colors, aromas, and sensations that tell the story of rural life with a modern heart, capable of blending the past and the future.

*• THE WINES •*
In a land between the sea of Taranto and the heights of the Valle d'Itria, in San Giorgio Ionico, at the heart of the DOC Primitivo di Manduria, the Papadopoli family has been passing down traditions, experience, and passion for wine for four generations. Giustini is led by Giuseppe Papadopoli along with his sons Salvatore and Federico. Giuseppe began the story in 2005, applying all his knowledge in vineyard management to grow the highest quality grapes; Salvatore is a young and passionate oenologist eager to experiment and extract the best wine possible from his father's work; Federico is the head cellar master, ensuring all daily operations. Minimal interventions in the vineyard and targeted aging in the cellar give Giustini's wines the aromas of the grapes from which they come to life. A few steps from the Mar Piccolo, where the strong sirocco and tramontana winds blow, they have found their little corner of paradise. Here, the vines grow vigorously on a unique soil composed of clay, sand, and fossilized shells, imparting to the wines all the emotion, strength, and depth of the sea. Currently, three lines are produced by Giustini: Avoglia (wines of pleasure and affirmations, synonymous with abundance and never denial, typical and sincere), Design (wines that fully express the authenticity and greatness of Giustini's grapes, the result of continuous research and consistent work, with an unmistakable touch of style), and Acinorè (the best interpretation of Primitivo di Manduria, these labels come from an ancient training system called alberello and a special vineyard where the average age of the plants is 50 years).
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