Giovanna Abbiati
After my Master in Bioethics, with a thesis on Bioethic and manga, I started to work on education. I was the project leader of the Institute of Higher Studies on Women at the UPRA University. During that time I’ve partnered with Google to design a Master program on New Media for catholic nuns and missionaries to enhance education on disatvantage environments (hospitals, migrants, poor villages).
I spent the next 15 years to work in the non-profit sectors. I’ve devoted my last 6 years to advocate for children palliative care worldwide at the Maruzza Foundation. As an advocate I’ve been a speaker at the WHO, UN and the Vatican. Published in Springer, in the Children’s Palliative Care: An International Case-Based Manual.
Today , I am in charge of unaccompanied foreign minors (UFMs) in a small scale housing facility in Rome.
During these years I never stopped my passion: writing. I’ve published three books, the Pillystar Saga and in 2020 Mountain Breeze.
Esther Marconi
With a Master’s Degree in Architecture and an Executive MBA, I started my professional career in the fields of university lecturing and journalism, with articles and television reports.
I worked in various companies of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group, as Chief Human Resources Officier.
For example, at Italferr SpA, the engineering company, whose mission was to design and build the new high-speed railway lines in Italy and to export its know-how worldwide, I was responsible for incorporating new subsidiaries in Turkey, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US, Algeria, Perù, managing personnel, both on Italian and foreign sites. In the Holding Company of the FS Group I was in charge of Merger And Acquisition initiatives, to acquire some European companies, in Greece, Germany, UK and the Netherlands. I was member of the Board of Directors of these companies and ensured their process of integration in the Group’s governance system.
Currently, I carry out business consulting activities on internationalization and I organise cultural projects and events.
Francesca D’Asaro Biondo
I’m French-Italian, and after a Master’s Degree in Political Sciences, I began working as a Parlamentary assistant. I then have been devoted to the upbringing of my children in their young age, while working at communication projects.
From 2011, I first collaborated with the Institute of Higher Studies on Women at the UPRA University, and then at the European University of Rome, exploring my passion for technology (I was part of the team organizing TexViadellaConciliazione and then later, TedxRoma) and developing an awareness of women’s needs that drove me to be the communication advisor for Grandmotherproject, an ONG whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of women, children and families in countries in the Global South.
Chair of the Literary Committee
Isabella Camera d’Afflitto
Isabella Camera D’Afflitto is an Italian academic, translator and critic. She is regarded as one of Italy’s leading Arabists.
She has been full professor in Arabic Modern Literature at the Department of Oriental Studies – ISO – Sapienza University of Roma – Italy. She specialized in contemporary Arabic literature and has worked with a number of Italian publishing houses to promote Arabic culture in Italy. Since 1993 she has been Editor in chief of the Contemporary Arab Writers series (“Scrittori Arabi Contemporanei”) of the Jouvence publishing house which has so far published 40 novels by outstanding contemporary Arab authors.
She is Member of the International Jury of the “Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture” UNESCO and Member of the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Commission for the “National Translation Prize”. She was awarded the Grinzane Cavour Prize, for Translation.
OUR ADVISORS
Stefania Mancini
In 2021 she was appointed as President of Assifero,the national membership association of Italian grant-making foundations and private institutional philanthropy. The first women to hold the role at the association.
Mancini’s background includes a career of collaboration with a wide variety of foundations and donor advised funds. She also serves on the board of Fondazione Charlemagne, Fondazione Italiana per il Dono, and as the Vice President and Managing Director of Fondation Assistance Internationale – CH.
Daniele di Gennaro
Daniele di Gennaro is the founder and Director of Minimum fax publishing house.
Established in 1994, minimum fax is, proudly, still completely independent.
Since then, minimum fax estabilished itself as an undisputed presence in the italian publishing market becoming the reference point of american literature in Italy. It has published, among others, David Foster Wallace, Raymond Carver, Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg.
The structure has increased but the ownership is still indipendent, Cassini and Di Gennaro holding the 100% of it. The production is now of 30 titles per year, with almost 150.000 books sold yearly.
In 2003 Rosita Bonanno, an independent film producer, joined Marco Cassini and Daniele di Gennaro. Together they started minimum fax media, an independent film production company.
Minimum also offers creative writing classes held by their Italian authors.