On Saturday 23rd January we organized a reading entirely dedicated to Shirley, since a new Italian edition was recently released by Fazi Editore, and we met again at Libreria Tra Le Righe in Rome. The lovely bistrot inside the bookstore was very crowded, and we even run out of teapots! But eventually we managed, and once everyone was comfortable and served, we started reading some lines of an article from the newspaper Il Messaggero, (Tuesday 19th January 2016), which Mr Bruno, one of our gratest supporters, brought to us.
There was a brief introduction, and very soon we got from the writer to the novel, from Charlotte to Shirley. The debate was immediately active and intense- we shared opinions about the role of women in the Victorian society, the politics of the time, the romance (or lack of romance? The audience had divergent opinions about this) in the novel. Moreover lots of literay and cultural connections arose, from Austen to Dickens, from Gaskell to Eliot, from England to Ireland.
Some among the less shy readers talked about their favourite passages in the novel, suggesting ideas and making us think about their points of view. Thanks to the Internet and by using a projector we were able to see the places that inspired the novel- the ‘Red House’ in Gomersal and Oakwell Hall in Birstall- and looking at them was really nice and interesting, since we had only imagined them while reading the book.
So once again it was totally awesome for us: sharing ideas with passionate readers and meeting new people is thrilling and stimulating, their energy refills ours, their enthusiasm is our reward. Thank you, once more, for being part of our adventure, and thanks to this lovely bookstore which every time makes us feel at home.
Serena
