Yesterday in Mandas was an evening dedicated to literature, memory, and civic engagement, part of the 18th edition of the DH Lawrence International Travel Literature Festival, this year dedicated to the theme "Identity and Future, Between History and Current Events." The event centered on the presentation of "Femmenella" by Davide Piras and "Innocenza in Catena" by Tore Quartu, two books that brought themes and sensibilities strongly connected to current events to the Festival. The evening concluded with the presentation of the 2026 City of Mandas Award to Carol Tola, president of the Provincial Diabetics Association. "Meeting on Lawrence's carriage while the Stadler trains pass by on the nearby tracks is beyond moving," said Mayor Umberto Oppus. A special atmosphere, also linked to the history of the place, which struck Davide Piras: «In the footsteps of David Lawrence, in the carriage that hosted his trip to Sardinia in 1921. Thanks to the administration and all the staff of the Travel Literature Festival for the hospitality, the gifts and the beautiful evening together with a warm and participating audience».
The Festival continues today, Thursday, October 1st, at 5:00 PM, aboard the historic 1913 Bauchiero carriage, with the presentation of the book "Sandro Pertini" by Gianluca Scroccu, published by Salerno Editrice. A professor of contemporary history and author of numerous studies on Italian political history, Scroccu offers a reading of Pertini that places him in the historical context, beyond the realm of nostalgia and legend. The day will also be enriched by the screening of "Disamistade" by director Gianfranco Cabiddu.
Tomorrow, Friday, October 2nd, the program will focus on the relationship between grandparents, memory, and the future, while Saturday, October 3rd, will be a day suspended between past and present. We'll discuss engines with Angelo Melis, Paolo Pezzuoli, and Roberto Muller, with an introductory greeting from Roberto Giacobbo. Aboard the trains, Emanuele Cioglia's "Lotta Amata" will be presented, starring Rossana Copez, Germano Orrù, Vincenzo Soddu, and Dario Cosseddu. The novel is set primarily in Cagliari in 1980, during the dramatic years of terrorism and social unrest. Drawing on a true incident that occurred in Piazza Matteotti, it intertwines memory, history, and personal experiences, capturing the atmosphere of a Sardinia riven by the ideologies and conflicts of the Years of Lead.