Literature takes to the train and transforms travel into a cultural experience. This is the major innovation of the 18th edition of the DH Lawrence Travel Literature Festival, scheduled in Mandas from September 25th to October 4th. For ten days, the famous Trexenta railway hub will become a veritable literary stage. Thanks to a collaboration with Arst, book presentations will take place aboard trains, with authors and audiences participating in mobile encounters. This initiative, Mandas Mayor Umberto Oppus calls "a first in Italy." The historic Bauchiero, the Littorine, the modern Stadler, and the entire Mandas Railway Park will thus become the venues for the festival's events, aiming to combine the charm of train travel with the discovery of literature and the region. The inauguration, on September 25th, will focus on raising social awareness. The first book selected recounts a journey into autism, opening the program with a highly timely and meaningful human theme.
The full program is being finalized and will be presented in the coming days, but some of the main initiatives have already been announced. One day will be entirely dedicated to raising awareness about violence against women, while other meetings will explore historical themes, ranging from local to national history, continuing the festival's tradition of promoting a dialogue between travel, memory, and culture for eighteen years. The 2026 edition promises to be one of the most innovative ever, enhancing one of Mandas's symbols—its railway heritage—by transforming it into a meeting place for writers, readers, and travelers.
