Festivaletteratura 2002 was yet another successful edition. The City was teeming with an enthusiastic crowd eager to attend the over 180 scheduled events: Margaret Mazzantini, Gino Strada, Paco Ignatio Taibo, Fatima Mernissi, Tiziano Terzani, Antonio Skarmeta, Ian McEwan, Michael Cunningham, Irvine Welsh, James Hillman were welcomed by a large and discerning audience. In addition to the big names of the Italian and International literary panorama, those who came to Mantua were mesmerized by readings and meetings devoted to Greek and Latin classics, by Ennio Peres’s mathematics tricks, and by Note di Notte night concerts.
Festivaletteratura together with Hay-on-Wye and Berlin created Scritture Giovani (Young Novelists) - a project sponsored by the EU - (Culture Programme 2000) which brought to the public’s attention six European young writers, and hosted some National Premieres such as Lettere al Metronomo by Vincenzo Cerami and Nicola Piovani.
The children’s programme was also extremely eventful: the editorial office of Pimpa with Francesco Altan moved specially to Mantua, and Michele Emmer and Tom Noddy disclosed the mysteries of soap bubbles; Gcina Mhlophe danced with adults and children to the rhythm of storytelling. During the 5-day Festival a host of performances, workshops and rendez-vous took place.