Renowned writers
illystories, originally created to promote young European writers under age 32, now includes a series written by established authors and published each spring.
Scritture Giovani alla Festivaletteratura Mantova 2004
The first edition was published in 2005 and dedicated to travel and featured the stories of four Italian writers: Giuseppe Cederna, Sandra Cisneros, Marcello Fois, Dacia Maraini and an Irishman, Colum McCann. Following the illystories format, all stories were short enough to be read in their entirety in a café while enjoying a cup of coffee. The cover illustration of the inaugural issue was created by students at the Parsons School of Design in New York designed the cover art.
The second edition, published in 2006 with half a million copies, explored the theme of the coffee house as a meeting place. Writers included Vincenzo Cerami and Mauro Covacich of Italy, Ardashir Vakil, an Anglo-Indian, Björn Larsson of Sweden. Cover art was supplied by students at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.
The third edition from spring 2007 focuses on expression as the result of a creative effort, and is interpreted by Gianrico Carofiglio, Panos Karnezis, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Raul Montanari. A movie, a book, a sculpture, a painting, a performance, but also an equation, a theory, an economic model, an article: all expressions of inspiration from different parts of the world.
Students at major international schools of art and design are commissioned to illustrate the covers of the books in each edition.
The Parsons School of Design in New York created the covers for the series on travel, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris designed the covers for the coffee house theme and EINA, Escola de disseny i Art in Barcelona was assigned the series on expression.
The stories:
illystories 2005 "il viaggio" - Travel
Giuseppe Cederna, L'uomo che aveva perso il viaggio - The man who Missed the Trip
Sandra Cisneros, Machu Picchu
Marcello Fois, … un po' morire - To Part is to Die a Little
Dacia Maraini, In volo - On the Wing
Colum McCann, Sumac
illystories 2006 "nel caffè" - At the Bar
Vincenzo Cerami, "io ti amo" - I love you
Mauro Covacich, Café Zentral
Ardashir Vakil, Eva
Björn Larsson, Il sogno del filologo - The Philologist’s Dream
illystories 2007 "espressione" - Expression
Gianrico Carofiglio, Vigilie [view pdf] - Christmas Eve
Panos Karnezis, Vacanze - Vacations
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ma le farfalle mangiano le ceneri? - Do Butterflies Eat Ashes?
Raul Montanari, Il primogenito [view pdf] - The First Born