On Monday 18 May, the Chelliana Library will host the launch of Velio Abati’s book: The War of Argos and Other Chronicles (Asterios, 2026).
The author will be in conversation with the director Mario Fraschetti. Graziano Caturelli, Tommaso Pettinati, Enrica Pistolesi and Francesco Melani will also take part with readings and contributions.


The six plays are inspired by real-life events, ranging from major historical events (Tsipras’s Greece’s clash with the EU, the Italian Resistance) to the ‘people without a history’ in Rosa. The staging reflects a strong commitment to historical accuracy, going as far as to reproduce documents verbatim. However, events, protagonists and circumstances are transposed into a mythical dimension, taking on classical Greek forms: thus, familiar events appear both familiar and surprising, real and fantastical, inviting the audience to adopt a perspective that moves beyond the stereotypes of mainstream news and opens up to the complexity of collective and individual experiences. While the texts share a need to respond to the wounds of the present, equally central is the drive towards experimentation, both in dramatic forms (from ancient theatre to the crime thriller) and in the Italian language, whose resilience and depth are put to the test. The result is a restless style of writing characterised by rapid dialogue, orality and lyrical suggestions, with a musical tension that culminates in the choral verses of Antigone vive. Similarly, the language ranges from lofty, literary registers to earthy, peasant ones, where deep roots extend all the way back to Dante.

The event will take place in the Aula Magna on the 2nd floor and will begin at 5.00 pm. Free admission.
For information: 0564 488054 - info@chelliana.itcomporre the mosaic of many