The fifth edition of the Festival delle Letterature is to be held from 18 May to 22 June with an impressive line-up of internationally renowned writers presenting their works at the Basilica di Massenzio in Via dei Fori Imperiali. Ten foreign and six Italian writers among them two Nobel prize winners will take part in the festival, which this year has the theme Natural, Artificial. The authors will read from new works, some written especially for the festival, and actors will perform extracts from the authors previously published works. The programme is as follows:

25 May: Isabella Santacroce

30 May: Nadine Gordimer

6 June: Erri De Luca and Javier Cercas

8 June: Susanna Tamaro and Sandra Cisneros

13 June: Sandra Veronesi and Richard Ford

15 June: Arturo Perez Reverte and Alan Hollinghurst

16 June: Alessandro Baricco and Dave Eggers

20 June: Elisabetta Rosy and Zadie Smith

22 June: Jose Saramago