Press Release

Viva la poesia!

edited by Antonio Spadaro

The new book by Pope Francis

“I like poetry a lot… Poetry is full of metaphors. Understanding metaphors helps to make thought agile, intuitive, flexible, acute. Those who have imagination do not become inflexible, they have a sense of humour, they always enjoy the sweetness of mercy and inner freedom”

Pope Francis

Viva la poesia! (Edizioni Ares - pp. 224, euro 18,50) raccoglie per la prima volta tutti gli scritti di Papa Francesco su poesia e letteratura firmati durante il suo pontificato. Il curatore del volume, p. Antonio Spadaro, fornisce le decisive chiavi di lettura per comprendere l’intelligenza letteraria del Pontefice, delineando il vasto panorama degli autori che hanno costellato la sua formazione, da Dante a Dostoevskij, da Virgilio a Borges, passando per Hölderlin, Tolkien e tanti altri. Il libro contiene un chirografo inedito del Papa, indirizzato a p. Spadaro, utilizzato anche per la grafica della copertina. Il libro si chiude con un’illuminante intervista con uno degli alunni di Lettere del Liceo nel quale Jorge Mario Bergoglio insegnava quando ancora non era sacerdote.

Viva la poesia! (Ares Editions – pp. 224, Euro 18.50) brings together for the first time all the writings of Pope Francis on poetry and literature signed during his pontificate. The editor of the book, Fr. Antonio Spadaro, provides the definitive keys to understanding the Pontiff's literary intelligence, outlining the vast panorama of authors that punctuated his formation, from Dante to Dostoevsky, from Virgil to Borges, passing through Hölderlin, Tolkien and many others. The book contains an unpublished chirograph from the Pope, addressed to Fr. Spadaro, also used for the cover graphics. The book closes with an enlightening interview with one of the Literature students from the high school where Jorge Mario Bergoglio taught when he was not yet a priest.

The editor, Antonio Spadaro (Messina, 1966), Jesuit, theologian and literary critic, is under-secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. He was the long-term editor of the journal “La Civiltà Cattolica”, and conducted the first interview with Pope Francis (My door is always open, 2013).

Press contacts

Riccardo Caniato – riccardo.caniato@edizioniares.it – 333/3584110

Camilla Gaetano – camilla.gaetano@edizioniares.it – 340/7305246

Edizioni Ares – ufficio.stampa@edizioniares.it – 02/82770632