"In the face of violence, we can be victims or executioners; we can try to stop it or turn away. Turning away is what most people do." The words of Hakan Günday, Turkish novelist and guest at Festivaletteratura in Mantova, resonate within the imposing walls of the Palatine Basilica of Santa Barbara. In dialogue with journalist Francesca Caferri, Günday reflects on what writing means, addressing ethical questions and issues facing present-day Turkey, such as immigration, war, and maintaining pluralism.

“I have been obsessed with the question: How do you build peace? Is it by forgiving, by imagining a future, by sharing values? Or is it by recognizing the reality of violence?"

Zamir, the main character in Günday's latest novel (of the same name), is a war victim. Severely maimed as a child by a bomb explosion in a refugee camp between Turkey and Syria, he becomes the mascot of an international humanitarian association, contributing to fundraising efforts for children affected by conflicts and poverty.

As he grows up, Zamir becomes convinced that lesser evil justifies the means. Disillusioned by humanitarian organizations, he joins the Foundation for the First World Peace, an organization with no qualms about spreading deception and pain to stop conflicts, prevent crimes, and achieve temporary peace. Hakan Günday takes us on a journey that spans Mongolia, England, Germany, Istanbul, and a metaphysical place where the lines between good and evil blur, and the boundaries between peace and war are lost. "Yet, this is the most optimistic of my nine novels," says Günday, "The simple fact that Zamir reflects on the value of human life conveys optimism".