SThe first edition of the Rarrǝca Book Festival has just concluded, taking place on 5 and 6 July in the charming village of Caggiano, in the province of Salerno.
A project born from the meeting between the energies of the local community - represented by Simona Cafaro and Francesco Castellucci - and those of the Neapolitan cultural scene, with the participation of the writers Giancarlo Piacci and Marco Raio.
A synergy that, like a spark, transformed an idea into a living laboratory of relationships and visions, where literature was entrusted with the role of engine of collective growth and cultural rooting.
A start that not only excites, but already shows a precise and promising direction.
In this context of excitement and renewed attention to the territorial dimension of culture, the choice of guests by the organizers appeared targeted and conscious, standing out for a selection capable of proposing a cultural dimension willing to illuminate areas still submerged in our collective imagination.
The experience of Narvhal, a young publishing house present at the festival with the exhibition Jole Tognelli, fits perfectly into this vision.
We met Giuseppe Maria Marmo, co-founder of the project: young, determined, with clear ideas and animated by a lucid and contagious enthusiasm. We talked with him to deepen the gaze that animates this editorial reality — between radical visions, future dreams and the daily challenge of building culture starting from the margins.
You are a young independent publishing house, founded in 2024. How did the name “Narvhal” come about and what message does this choice convey?
The name comes from the narwhal: in totemic animal symbolism it symbolizes uniqueness and freedom, and this is exactly what we look for in texts. Today, so many books are published and, therefore, to make a difference, to create a niche and recognition, you have to make a deep and radical selection.
We believe that real books, literary ones - as we understand them - are texts capable of asking many questions, that dig deep, that open cracks. These cracks are not always filled, but the important thing is to be able to find that missing piece of individuality.
Otherness, after all, is also this: a clash with the different. A book, in our opinion, must never be conciliatory. For this reason the writer must feel free to put all of himself and his own vision of the world into it, almost sabotaging everyday life.
So you look for authors who recognize themselves in this dimension?
Exactly. We have two specific series: one of re-fishings called Sommersi, which also recalls the narwhal's tail; and another dedicated to great international writers, called Emersi, because the narwhal's horn always points toward the sky.
“I Sommersi” are great authors who, for some reason, have been ostracized by the publishing system.
For example, we published Mario Picchi: he was a great literary critic, a writer, a translator (he translated Les Miserables), and in 1964 he published a text with Einaudi, strongly desired by Calvino. Then he disappeared from the publishing world because he dared to criticize Montale in a period in which it was not possible to do so. Furthermore, he had a difficult character, but he had the courage and the restlessness to say what he thought.
And instead for the series of "Great international writers", we look for authors who are very well known abroad, but who - for reasons often related to the complexity of the writing or the themes treated - have never arrived or have not had success in Italy. For example, we published Yoko Tawada, one of the five most important living Japanese writers in the world, recently winner of a prestigious award and nominated for the Nobel Prize last year, but who had not yet arrived in Italy. We do exactly this type of research.
Is this what sets you apart from other independent houses? Or is there something else in particular?
Good question, but difficult. Actually, we get along very well with other small publishing houses. Each has its own niche, and that's right. There is certainly a thematic radicalization, but there is also a lot of selection.
More than anything, we place ourselves somewhat in contrast with large-scale distribution and mainstream publishing, which sometimes publishes good texts, but which often floods the market with titles that — in our opinion — are not worth reading.
Within the Rarrǝca Book Festival, the publishing house Narvhal brought not only its editorial voice but also an artistic proposal strongly connected to its cultural vision: the Jole Tognelli exhibition. We wanted to explore with them the meaning of this editorial expression that is part of the “Interspazi” format — a device designed to make literature dialogue with other languages, breaking the boundaries of the already known.
Why did you choose to dedicate an exhibition to Jole Tognelli; what do you think is the cultural value of her works?
This is part of our format that we call Interspazi, a way to “open the bubbles”. Often the publishing world is closed, self-referential. We instead think that art must communicate. There are languages that move between literature, music, cinema, and so on.
We have been doing this since the beginning. When the publishing house was born, for example, we presented the project accompanied by a photographic exhibition: the photographer had read the books and then taken pictures inspired by the suggestions of the texts. We believe it is an effective way to build a fertile world, which can bring together even those who normally feel distant from certain forms of art. Everyone recognizes themselves in the one they feel closest to. Art should question, but also communicate.
Is there a work in the exhibition that you consider particularly significant?
In reality, we are tied to all of Tognelli's works. We recognize ourselves in her vision of the world, which we feel is close to that of the authors we publish. She always placed herself in contrast with the norm.
She said that one had to live between ecstasy and disenchantment; not to look for answers, but to ask questions in order to contemplate beautiful things. According to her, one had to get out of the utilitarian conception of time, let go, live, be. Emerge and submerge, and then re-emerge in the work. Observation, for Tognelli, is an act that goes deep — it doesn't have to serve any purpose, but to feel.
A thought that seems to tie in well with your editorial philosophy…
Exactly. For us, every book is a challenge. We want to create connections between the various art forms. A publishing house immediately makes you think of books, but we are not just that.
What does participating in the Rarreca Festival mean to you?
When they invited us we were really happy. Also because, even though we work mostly in Rome, we come from the province - from San Rufo, to be precise - and we remain very tied to that territory. We want to bring to the province what perhaps we, growing up there, missed. Seeing that there are people, especially young people, who are committed to creating something beautiful moved us.
Cooperating in these places, creating positive synergies, is essential to dismantle that rhetoric according to which in the provinces “nothing ever happens”. In reality, things get done. All you need is the desire to participate, to get involved. And also to get your hands dirty, if necessary.
What are your future projects? Do you have any specific publications or cultural initiatives planned?
Yes, then… we will definitely celebrate the publishing house’s birthday in Rome, on July 19th. We will do it at Bar Volo, a very active place also from an artistic point of view in Torpignattara.
And then we will participate in Mulini in festa, on July 26, again here in San Pietro, in the Vallo di Diano. There we will organize a small literary salon, with readings by actors — they will perform excerpts from the texts we have published — and there will also be a small refreshment. Then we will publish a text that I would define as a small “repechage”, a fairy tale.
It's a book that's a little different from the ones published so far: I'd say it's intergenerational, it can reach anyone. We're also thinking of adding some illustrations. It's a surreal book, so we like the visual idea. In 2026, we'll publish the first Italian translation by a Kurdish-Iraqi author. I can't name him yet, but we're very proud of this project.
In an increasingly saturated and fragmented publishing landscape, the new independent publishing house Narwhal, founded in 2024, stands out for its poetic and radical imprint, capable of challenging homologation and opening new avenues of meaning. Its presence at Rarrǝca Fest has merged with the very soul of the initiative: experiences like that of Narvhal Edizioni demonstrate that the roots evoked by the name of the event can reach far, generating a broader, freer literary horizon. Even necessary.
Article published on 7 July 2025 - 09:47
