Emma Saponaro will present his new novel, “If I have to be an apple” (Les Flâneurs Editions, preface by Marina Pierricover made by Alessandro Arrigo), in Rieti, on 10 March, at the Mondadori Bookstore (Via Roma 61), at 5.30 pm. Dialogue with the author Antonio Turi.
“If I have to be an apple” tells in an ironic and amusing key the path of liberation of a young woman from a marriage that turned out to be just a machine capable of crushing any possibility of personal growth.
On her journey Rebecca, this is the name of the protagonist, will meet the great possibilities offered by the web, becoming an established and sought-after blogger of recipes that she invents herself, above all she will make use of the advice and food for thought offered by an amusing gallery of characters that others they are but the reincarnation of the main philosophers of history.
“If I must be an apple” owes its title to Plato’s famous metaphor, according to which human beings are half apples that live unresolved in search of the missing half. According to Rebecca, however, every human being is a whole apple and can only find love when he finds partners capable of respecting his wholeness. The publication follows “Come il perfume” (Castelvecchi Editore), a psychological noir on the theme of the double inspired by Emma Saponaro’s great love for the world of perfumes and fragrances.
“I owe a lot to Marina Pierri, because just as I was writing this novel I met her and her reflections on “The Heroin’s Journey”, says Emma Saponaro, “They are reflections that helped me better focus on the themes I was dealing with” .
“The idea of reincarnated philosophers who are plumbers, greengrocers, computer scientists, I really can’t say how it came to me”, continues Emma Saponaro, “However, I really enjoyed writing about these funny characters, and I hope my parents enjoy the same readers”.
“On the other hand, for the blog I referred to my personal experiences”, Emma Saponaro says again, “Not in the sense that I have had a cooking blog, but I have managed and still manage several blogs, so I know the subject. Instead, I invented all the recipes trying to indulge the spirit of the protagonist. I don’t think they’re usable, unless you have a partner like Rebecca’s.”
“Beyond the comic key”, Emma Saponaro concludes, “the novel talks about very serious themes, because too many people still get crushed in couple relationships that oppress instead of helping to grow. Well, I would like the message to be: apples from all over the world, wake up and take a good look, you are not half finished, you are whole”.
Emma Saponaro, Roman, has a degree in pedagogy and an expert in adoption issues, on this issue she has held cycles of lessons. She was coordinator of the editorial board of the biannual magazine Famiglia e Minori, for which she published articles of a psycho-legal nature on issues related to adoption, abandonment and violence against women. She was co-creator and co-curator of Parole di Pane which ended with the publication of two homonymous anthologies (Farnesi Editore, 2013; Giulio Perrone Editore, 2014), whose proceeds were entirely donated to charity. Stories about her have been published in online magazines and in various anthologies, garnering good critical and public success. Before If I have to be an apple, you published Come il perfume (Castelvecchi, 2017).
Marina Pierri she is co-founder and artistic director of FeST – Il Festival delle Serie Tv. She deals with television criticism with particular attention to gender representation. Scholar of narratology, the first book of her Heroines (Edizioni Tlon) explores the narrative archetypes in the Heroine’s Journey. Her podcast titled Twelve Story Goddesses is produced by Storytel. You are part of the scientific coordination of the digital school of solidarity founded by Francesco Trento and you teach History of television innovation in the Netflix Master in Series Development of the Civica Scuola di Cinema in Milan. You have written or write for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Grazia, Wired, Il Corriere della Sera.
Alessandro Arrigo he is a graphic designer and illustrator. Illustrations of him have become furnishing accessories. His photography and illustration projects “Ritratto Camaleontico” and “ri flès si /à ni ma” were included in the 3rd volume of “Il corpo Solitario”, by Giorgio Bonomi, Rubbettino editions. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Italy and abroad. We recall those at the Salón internacional de Arte in Melilla, with Goyart, at the Artist’s Book Biennial at Castel dell’Ovo, in Naples, at MACRO, the contemporary art museum in Rome, at the Les Rencontres photography festival in Arles, with the Tiber Art Gallery. Illustrations by him have been exhibited at the Botanical Garden Museum in Rome. In 2020 he was selected at the Miami New Media Festival for the Doral Contemporary Art Museum, he also participated, with Incinque Open Art Monti, at the Lucca Art Fair. Drawings by him have appeared in 7 – Sette, the Corriere della Sera weekly, Buduar, almanac of light art, Hashyapu Harivillu – Humor Toons, We Wealth Magazine. He published with Andrea Pugliese the book POP TEN, Lozzi Editori, creating the concept and illustrations related to the stories.
Antonio Turijournalist, has collaborated with important newspapers, such as La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno and Sipario.
As an author, he won the Flaiano Prize in 1996 and was reported in other prestigious prizes, such as the Riccione Prize, the Fondi La Pastora and others.
He has been press officer of numerous private and public structures.
He directed the Barletta Book Presidium, organizing numerous meetings with Italian and foreign authors.
For some years it has completely changed its field of action and deals with innovation, digital governance and Web3. He also carries out mentorship activities for innovative startups.