2023 edition of Rome's open-air literature festival will be held in Stadio Palatino.

Rome's international literature festival returns for its 22nd edition this summer, taking place in the spectacular setting of the Palatine Hill over five evenings from 3-13 July.

The prestigious literary event features a host of award-winning Italian and international authors who will read from their work, supported by actors, acrobats, live music and light effects.

The festival will see authors read new texts written especially for the festival, inspired by the 2023 theme - La memoria del mondo (The memory of the world) - in homage to Italo Calvino on the centenary of his birth.

Letterature is curated by Simona Cives, head of Rome's Casa delle Letterature, who said: "The aim of the festival has always been to introduce the general public to some of the most beautiful voices on the international scene through a live reading of texts."

Al via lunedì 3 luglio Letterature - Festival internazionale di Roma: cinque serate da non perdere nello scenario unico dello #StadioPalatino! Ad aprire la storica manifestazione sarà #LuigiLoCascio, che leggerà “#Lamemoriadelmondo”.
Info su #CultureRoma: https://t.co/pLguMMfXIh pic.twitter.com/s8OPkr5ma7

— Culture Roma (@culture_roma) July 3, 2023

The festival opens on 3 July with actor Luigi Lo Cascio reading from a collection of short stories by Italo Calvino, along with readings by Fernando Aramburu, Julie Otsuka and Jean Baptiste Del Amo.

On 5 July it will be the turn of Margaret Atwood, Paolo Giordano and Valeria Luiselli, while on 9 July the festival will welcome the future winner of the 2023 Strega Prize, alongside Jeanette Winterson, Burhan Sönmez and Katja Petrowskaja.

Taking to the stage on 11 July will be Bernardo Zannoni, Sam Riviere and William T. Vollmann, with the festival closing on 13 July with David Diop, Nicola Lagioia and Maaza Mengiste.

The festival is organised by the Istituzione Biblioteche di Roma in collaboration with the city and the Parco archeologico del Colosseo.

Situated on the eastern side of the Domus Flavia-Augustana, but at a height of about 10 metres below it, the Palatine Stadium was built by Emperor Domitian in the late first century AD.

All Letterature events are free of charge but must be booked in advance, subject to availability.

The events begin at 21.00, with access to the Palatine Stadium from 20.30.

All events will be streamed live on the Facebook pages of Biblioteche di Roma and LETTERATURE Festival Internazionale di Roma as well as the YouTube channel of Biblioteche di Roma.

For full details including programme see website.