2023

Who do GenZ idolise? Webboh, the reference point website for Generation Z, asked its community for the fourth edition of “Webboh Awards“. The awards – created by Webboh – have recorded growing success in recent years, crediting themselves as the “Oscars” of the best Italian creators.

The voting – which took place from February 20 until March 5 – celebrated the talent and qualities of many tiktokers, youtubers and influencers who have distinguished themselves in the last year on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitch.

In the competition were more than 150 candidates, divided into 16 categories which the Webboh community gave their opinions on, achieving incredible results with almost 5 million votes on the site.

The awards

Best TikTok creator e Best comedy creator

Winner of two categories is Mattia Stanga, in first place both as Best TikTok Creator of the year and as Best Creator Comedy. 25 years old, born in the province of Brescia, he is undoubtedly one of the pillars of the new wave of creators on TikTok, thanks to the success of his “POV” videos (acronym for “point of view”).

Top creator

The Italian digital par excellence entrepreneur could not fail to triumph. Chiara Ferragni – with over 35 million followers on Instagram and TikTok – debuted in 2009 with the blog “The Blonde Salad”, strengthening her brand year after year and becoming an international style icon and among the most influential women in the world.

Best youtuber

With a podcast and YouTube channel with 800,000 subscribers, Elisa True Crime – stage name of Elisa De Marco – is among the rising phenomena of the network.

Best fashion creator

Elisa Maino won the iconic Webboh statuette as Best Fashion Creator. With almost 6 million followers on TikTok, Elisa has gained great popularity thanks to her style and her ability to launch trends.

Best teen idol – female

With more than 2 million followers on social media, the award goes to Nicky Passarella. Half Italian and half Dutch, 22-year-old Nicky with her unmistakable freckles and bright smile, has conquered the web in a very short period of time.

Best teen idole – male

After making himself known on TV, Davide Vavalà has gained great popularity on social media that he uses to talk about his daily life and his passions.

Best beauty creator

Arianna Stella, otherwise known as Arienne MakeUp, is among the revelations of the Italian beauty community. She’s a make-up artist with over 3 million followers who talks about makeup and beauty, giving curious tutorials and showing extravagant looks.

Best food creator

Cooker Girl, also known as Aurora Cavallo, is among the top creators of Giallozafferano and co-founder of the talent agency Zenzero. On her journey on social media she intertwines her passion for traditional Italian cuisine with the innovation of modern techniques.

Revelation of the year

Leo Bonni, “Bonni Nazionale”, is among the latest discoveries of the comedy world of TikTok. Born in 2006, he began making videos at the age of 13, gaining over 1.2 million followers with the ironic story of his life as a teenager.

Best value

For the first time at the Webboh Awards, Best Value Award celebrates the talents that spread value messages on social media aimed at GenZ.  In 1st place is Pietro Morello: a 24-year-old from Turin, he uses social media to convey messages of humanity, solidarity and brotherhood, also thanks to the magic of music, his first passion.

Out of drama

Winning the category Out of Drama – and standing out without looking for hype with drama or dissing – is Ace, tiktoker and youtuber with over 4 million followers: he is 19 years old and stands out on social media for his supportive content and for reflecting, with contests and challenges, on the value of money and saving.

Best meme

The meme par excellence of recent times? The expression of doubt of Ivano Monzani, category winner of Best Meme: he has been made a celebrity by his reactions to the songs of Italian rappers.

Drama legend

Class of 2001, Lady Giorgia has been able to attract the attention of the network with her TV series adventures. Always blunt, Lady Giorgia has been able to dominate drama with her frank and sincere manner.

Best streamer

Ten years after landing on social media, Riccardo Dose, 28 years old from Pordenone, shows no sign of giving way. “Si nasce, si cresce, si Dose” is the motto of the creator, on hand at all times and ready to innovate on every platform.

Couple of the year

On social media they are the Space Family, in real life Valentino Bisegna and Sara Di Sturco. Martino’s parents, expecting their second child, the two creators talk about family life on both their personal and couple socials, always in the name of good humour.

L’evento

The award ceremony of the fourth edition of the Webboh Awards, which took place for the first time live, was hosted by Jody Cecchetto and Alessia Lanza, who were joined by more than 350 guests.

In addition to the participants there were also three special “presenters”: the “chocolate king” Ernst Knam, who crowned Cooker Girl as winner of the category Best Food Creator; the TV presenter Barbara d’Urso, always at the side of young talents, who presented the award to Leo Bonni, winner of the category Revelation of the year; Benedetta De Luca – recently celebrated as one of the five most influential Italian women of 2022 – who captured attention with a speech focused on the values of diversity and inclusion, rewarding Pietro Morello with the recognition of Best Value.

An extra surprise on the Webboh stage was an appearance by Rosa Chemical, who during the evening performed the song “Made in Italy” which he sang for the first time during the 73^rd edition of the Sanremo Festival

The event was broadcast live on the Webboh, Instagram and TikTok social platforms. The live, the Stories, the posts and the short videos of the brand and the creators present have achieved really important results in terms of reach: in total the contents related to the “Webboh Awards” have reached 35 million people.

I partner

The “Webboh Awards 2023” project has been embraced by important Italian brands, who actively participated in the event: the awardfor the Best Comedy Creator category was offered – also thanks to the commercial support of Mediamond – by Crodino, who also set up the open bar for the evening guests where a social pre-show was set with the 3 TikTok faces of Webboh. Phobia Archive, a project of Vision of Super, in collaboration with Webboh and 3 creators will create a series of video interviews for the launch of the new streetwear collection and for the occasion has created a celebratory sweatshirt in co-branding with Webboh for the winners of the awards. Finally, Pink Sugar presented the preview of the Lollipink fragrance through a branded flower wall, bringing to life the experience of the new gourmand fruity floral fragrance.

The participation of brand partners in the Awards confirmed Webboh as a reference point for communication to the under 25s, thanks to its ability to “translate” the native language of the target audience, enhancing and influencing the consumption trends of youngsters, allowing customers and investors to convey the message directly, naturally and without artificiality not only on social platforms but also through the live experience during the event.

The complete ranking of the Webboh Awards 2023

1. Top Creator: 1^st place Chiara Ferragni; 2^nd place Elisa True Crime; 3^rd place Mattia Stanga
2. Best TikTok Creator: 1^st place Mattia Stanga; 2^nd place Federica Scagnetti; 3^rd place Alessia Lanza
3. Best YouTuber: 1^st place Elisa True Crime; 2^nd place Gianmarco Zagato; 3^rd place Space Family
4. Best Streamer: 1^st place Riccardo Dose; 2^nd place Il Masseo; 3^rd place Jody Cecchetto
5. Best Creator Comedy: 1^st place Mattia Stanga; 2^nd place Dany Cabras; 3^rd place Chaimaa Cherbal
6. Best Fashion Creator: 1^st place Elisa Maino; 2^nd place Federica Scagnetti; 3^rd place Greta Santarelli
7. Best Teen Idol – Male: 1^st place Davide Vavalà; 2^nd place Matteo Robert; 3^rd place Valerio Mazzei
8. Best Teen Idol – Female: 1^st place Nicky Passarella; 2^nd place Gaia Bianchi; 3^rd place Valeria Vedovatti
9. Best Beauty Creator: 1^st place Arienne MakeUp; 2^nd place Salacca; 3^rd place Beatrice Gherardini
10. Best Food Creator: 1^st place Cooker Girl; 2^nd place Diletta Secco; 3^rd place Benedetta Rossi
11. Revelation Of The Year: 1^st place Leo Bonni; 2^nd place Sasy Cacciatore; 3^rd place Camilla De Pandis
12. Best Value: 1^st place Pietro Morello; 2^nd place Carlotta Fiasella; 3^rd place Momo and Raissa
13. Drama Legend: 1^st place Lady Giorgia; 2^nd place Very and Sasy; 3^rd place Gaia Bianchi
14. Out Of Drama: 1^st place Ace; 2^nd place Vincenzo Schettini; 3^rd place Giovanni Arena
15. Couple Of The Year: 1^st place Space Family; 2^nd place Sofia Crisafulli and Agostino Catanzariti; 3^rd place MamboLosco and Giulia Ottorini
16. Best Meme: 1^st place Ivano Monzani; 2^nd place “Un aperitif” by Elena Giordano and Elvira; 3^rd place “Cosa indossa Ludovica” by Monelli Kids

Starting today, Alfonso Signorini, one of the most popular personalities in show business and TV, embarks on a new venture with the Mondadori Group to develop a talent agency dedicated to entertainment. A project where Signorini will capitalize fully on the wealth of know-how and unique skills built throughout his career.
Signorini will maintain an ongoing commitment to Chi, becoming its Managing Editor from the next issue.

“I embark on this new professional endeavour with great enthusiasm and motivation. I thank the Mondadori Group for this opportunity and for the trust it has always shown in me. To Chi, now part of my DNA and something that is deeply ingrained in me, I will continue to dedicate my fullest energies. The partnership with Massimo Borgnis, more than a decade of fruitful collaboration, will allow the magazine to continue on its path of evolution and success”, said Alfonso Signorini.

“We are proud to entrust Alfonso Signorini, a landmark in Italian entertainment, with a challenge that will see him involved in the creation and development of a Group talent agency, where he will be able to put his vast knowledge of the world of entertainment to good use, tackling a managerial role”, said Carlo Mandelli, Managing director of Mondadori Media.

Signorini, 58, from Milan, a graduate in medieval philology from the Catholic University of Milan, began his professional activity as a humanities teacher. Boasting long-standing experience in the world of journalism, Signorini is today a TV host, author and writer: a strong aficionado of classical music and opera director, he has published numerous books with Mondadori dedicated to the lives of great composers and personalities from the world of music, entertainment and fashion.

Massimo Borgnis will concurrently take on the position of Editor-in-Chief of Chi.
Borgnis, 62, born in Milan, after studying at the International School of Milan, began his career in journalism as a sports reporter specializing in American football and US sports. In 1988, he joined the editorial staff of Gente, working there for 19 years, and covering increasing responsibilities until becoming central chief editor; a role he also held from 2007 at the weekly Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, before being appointed deputy executive editor-in-chief of Chi in 2009.

Over the past year, Chi has recorded excellent results: the good newsstand performance combines with the steady growth in audience on social media, where Italy’s most widely read people magazine with 1.3 million monthly readers, reaches nearly 1 million total followers on Instagram and Facebook.

The Original projects by  Mondadori Studios

are created, strengthening Mondadori Group’s presence in the podcast market. A format that is making a name for itself in the consumption habits of an ever wider public – which also embraces younger generations – to which the Mondadori Group will be able to offer high quality audio content, written, developed and created by a dedicated team.

The Mondadori Studios project
Mondadori Studios is a new space for the creation and production of original audio content: from spin-offs and discussion of what goes on behind the scenes in the creation of successful books to great works of historic and scientific education, from narrative invention to political analysis.

Includes original podcasts created in collaboration with important authors and characters with a strong experience in the world of audio broadcasting. A portfolio of stories and insights that enrich the wide digital offer of the Group’s publishing houses, with a catalogue of over 20,000 e-books and about 1,700 audiobooks.

The transversal nature and wealth of content and authors of Mondadori Studios is accompanied by the very high level of the production phase, thanks to an excellent sound design capable of enhancing the big names who collaborate on the initiative, and a graphic project with a strong visual impact by Francesco Poroli, internationally appreciated graphic illustrator.

The Original podcasts

There are three podcasts that will open the Originals by Mondadori Studios, featuring a total of 15 episodes, dedicated to highly topical issues, such as the protection of the planet, digital security and domestic violence: they include Elements, Digital Wars and Under the nails, available free on all major audio streaming platforms and usable from any device.

Elements was based on an idea by Mariasole Bianco, scientist, naturalistic populariser and President of Worldrise Onlus, to celebrate nature through the work of women who embody its essence. Four elements for four episodes – Water, Earth, Air and Fire – plus a fifth episode that exalts the human being par excellence: The culture.
Voices of Elements are Mariasole Bianco herself together with zoologist Mia Canestrini, the meteorological physicist Serena Giacomin, the environmentalist and forager Valeria Margherita Mosca and the communication expert Chiara Sgarbi, creator of the social profile @chiara_sui_libri.
A podcast to feed sparks of hope and give the right boost to change to safeguard our planet.

Digital Wars. What it is and why we talk about it (Guerre digitali. Cosa sono e perché ne parliamo),conceived by Mariarosaria Taddeo, Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, over six episodes deals with the themes of IT security,cybernetic intelligence, and the use of artificial intelligence as a military advantage up to its moral implications.

Under the nails (Sotto le unghie) is a true story of Patience Manzumba Nyapasa, a drama of ordinary domestic violence. A simple adjective to describe the too many tragedies that are still present in the chronicle of modern society.
There are four episodes written and narrated by Giulia Muscatelli, an author linked to women’s issues, regarding gender and social inclusion. Under the nails is a story of pain, beauty and courage, a story like many others, but it’s precisely for this reason that it’s important to be told.

From books to podcasts

Four podcasts dedicated to successful books and narrated by as many famous authors of the Group’s publishing houses are already available on all digital platforms: Bruno Vespa, Sveva Casati Modignani, Giuliano Da Empoli and Federico Varese.

The Wizard of the Kremlin. Instructions for Use Giuliano Da Empoli takes the reader backstage at The Wizard of the Kremlin (Mondadori, 2022), returning a real “instruction manual” to understand the story of Vadim Baranov, Vladimir Putin’s spin doctor.
The great storm by Bruno Vespa recounts a century of Italian history, from the end of fascism to the birth of the Meloni government, retracing the pages of his homonymous book published for Mondadori (2022) in collaboration with Rai Libri.
Protagonist of the podcast Crime and Punishments in the age of Putin. Russia seen through four criminals the voice of Federico Varese. Taken from his book Russia seen through four criminals (Einaudi, 2022), talks about contemporary Russia through the lives of four criminals representing different eras and social groups.
Lastly, in Dear Sveva. Time and love – produced in collaboration with Sperling & Kupfer – the bestselling author Sveva Casati Modignani imagines writing four letters to the female protagonists of the history of literature to discuss immortal themes: time (of life, of relationships) and love.

Coming out in the next few weeks, linked to the publication of Enrico Camanni’s new book Se non dovessi tornare, edited by Mondadori, the podcast Gary Hemming. Story of an obsession. The story of the life of a truly unique character – a nonconformist and libertarian climber – becomes an opportunity to recall the birth of a new way of thinking about mountaineering and the mountains, against the backdrop of the wonderful utopia of the 60s.

Useful links

Stay updated on the Mondadori Studios podcasts via the Instagram page, the Telegram channel and the playlists available on the main platforms, including Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

“Each of us must ask himself if there are horizons in his life. Are there horizons? Many times, it happens that people cannot see them. And they feel a little bad because they do not observe, do not know how to look and search for those horizons. Observing the horizons of life, in this way, means looking at hope.”

Pope Francis

“Pope Francis really makes you feel like a person. He’s the Pope, of course. At the beginning there is a sense of expectation, the same as I felt as a child, the first time I met one of St. Peter’s successors. But then, without you even realising it, he makes you feel like an equal, with the understanding and authenticity of a man who loves you, and that’s all: he simply loves you, just as you are.”

Davide Banzato

If you suddenly had an unexpected opportunity to spend some time face to face with the Pope, what would you ask him?

This was the extraordinary experience of Davide Banzato, described in the pages of this book. In the Vatican for his television programme I viaggi del cuore, Father Davide never thought he would get a unique opportunity to chat with the Pope and ask him the questions that he, like many of us, had been wondering about. The result is a sincere, spontaneous dialogue, but also an enlightening reflection between a priest who has not been afraid to take risks, with a life full of light and shadows, and a Pope of great wisdom and, above all, unbounded humanity. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the papal ministry of Pope Francis, the Holy Father answered ten questions, in a discussion addressing existential and highly relevant issues: from solitude to indifference, from the crisis in faith to peace of the heart, from fear to poverty. All enriched with personal anecdotes and reflections on the times we live in, on the Pope’s documents and speeches, on burning issues such as abuse, war and economic crisis, in a discussion that speaks to everyone. Thus the Pope’s words take us on a true “voyage of the heart”: an intense walk, with obstacles and dark places of its own, but capable of showing us that it is always possible for each of us to cast the anchor of hope in the midst of the storm, to open a window and look out at the horizon of a more serene future.

Pope Francis

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires in 1936, became the 266th Pope of the Catholic church on 13 March 2013. He chose the name of Saint Francis of Assisi, “a man of poverty, a man of peace”. Piemme also published his books Il nome di Dio è Misericordia. Una conversazione con Andrea Tornielli (2016, translated into 100 languages, published in English under the title The Name of God is Mercy), Dio è giovane (2018, published in English as God is Young), Ritorniamo a sognare (2020, published in English as Let us Dream) and Vi chiedo in nome di Dio (2022). And in the Battello a Vapore series: Laudato si’. L’enciclica raccontata ai ragazzi, Le più belle storie del Vangelo and A come Amore, B come Bambino.

Davide Banzato

Born in Padua in 1981, Father Banzato works with disadvantaged youth in Nuovi Orizzonti, the community founded by Chiara Amirante. He writes for a number of newspapers, presents the television programme I viaggi del cuore for broadcaster Mediaset, and has appeared in a series commenting on the gospels on Rai1 as well as a number of radio broadcasts. Piemme published his bestseller Tutto ma prete mai (2021).

Daisy Jones & The Six is back in the bookstores on the occasion of the March 3rd arrival, on Prime Video, of the long-awaited TV series based on the novel: 13 episodes produced by Amazon Studios and Reese Witherspoon, starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin. 

The book, published in Italy by Sperling & Kupfer, has been a global success: a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, independent American booksellers’ book of the month and book of the year according to major international publications.

“The rock novel of the year” tells the story of the dizzying rise to success of an iconic ’70s rock group, revealing the mystery behind their notorious break-up.

“Reading this story, told in first person by the people who appear in it, is like watching an amazing series of documentaries about an icon of rock music. A novel overflowing with style and energy.”

– The New York Times

The author

Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six and The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, all New York Times bestsellers. She started out with the novels: One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. taylorjenkinsreid.com

The plot

Daisy Jones & The Six: a rock group becomes a legend. Their concerts have packed stadiums all over the world, and their songs have inflamed a whole generation. Their legend is the fairy-tale of the dizzying rise from their first performances in underground clubs to world-wide stardom. It’s the incarnation of a time when sex, drugs and rock’n’roll went hand in hand. The story is one of a perfect alchemy: the unique magnetism between Billy Dunne – the band’s charismatic, tormented frontman – and Daisy Jones, the splendid cover girl and singer with a natural talent and a free, elusive spirit. Yet on 12 July 1979, at the end of a memorable concert, the group split up forever. Nobody has ever known why… Until now.
The former band musicians and managers, reporters and family members were all witnesses to the event, and now, forty years later, they are finally ready to tell the truth. But each of them has his or her own version of the events. What is brought back in their words is a story of a bunch of twenty-year-old friends and lovers, brothers and rivals; idols on the stage, fragile souls when the lights go down. A story of crazy nights and lost dawns, of dreams too big to be seized and demons too strong to be defeated, passions that ignited the blood in their veins. Because a song is never just a song. There’s life, in music. And it’s impossible to say where one ends and the other begins.

Chiara Ferragni – alongside Amadeus and Gianni Morandi at the Festival of Sanremo – was awarded the Telegatto, the most popular recognition among artists, by Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni.

Aldo Vitali, director of the point of reference brand for all fans of the entertainment world, handed out the award to the co-host of the 73^rd edition of the Italian Song Festival “for her extraordinary first performance at the Festival of Sanremo and, in particular, for her constant involvement in causes aimed at making civil society better” stated Aldo Vitali.

Chiara Ferragni, who will return on the Ariston’s stage at the Festival’s finals, was unable to conceal her emotions upon receiving the award and said: «I dedicate this Telegatto to my family and team. To my family for various reasons, to my team because I’m here thanks to the work we do together. I’m proud of what brought us to this stage. The Telegatto is an icon, and I’m delighted to have received one… Now, I’m no longer the only one of the family not to have one.”

The Telegatto – a sustainable work of art made in the 70s by the artists of Cracking Art for Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni – was delivered by Sorrisi’s staff at the Royal Hotel of Sanremo, where its director, Aldo Vitali, satisfies all of the Festival’s fans with exclusive contents on the magazine, website and social networks.

Photo credits for the Telegatto of Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni awarded to Chiara Ferragni: ©Iwan Palombi

The super exclusive party organised by Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, together with the cast and artists of the Sanremo Festival, to kick off the most awaited week of the world of music and Italian television was a great hit.

Over 300 guests crowed the parterre of the Royal Hotel of Sanremo to celebrate a great event full of emotions, music and entertainment with Sorrisi: among those present, the Festival’s cast and competing singers – Ariete, Articolo 31, Colapesce Dimartino, Colla Zio, Coma_Cose, Elodie, Gianluca Grignani, gIANMARIA, Lazza, LDA, Leo Gassmann, Levante, Madame, Mara Sattei, Modà, Mr. Rain, Paola & Chiara, Rosa Chemical, Sethu, Shari, Tananai, Will – and many other exceptional personalities, such as Serena Bortone, Ernst and Frau Knam, Alberto Matano, Samuel Peron, Giulia Salemi.
The evening’s special guest, Maurizio Lastrico, an actor and comedian of Zelig, entertained all those present with a fun and much applauded performance dedicated to Sorrisi’s public.

The evening, which also marked Sorrisi‘s great return and presence in Sanremo, was preceded by a special moment during which Sorrisi awarded the Telegatto to one of the most undisputed protagonists of this year’s edition of the event.

Gianni Morandi, host of the 73^rd edition of the Italian Song Festival together with Amadeus, received the award fromTv Sorrisi e Canzoni’s Director, Aldo Vitali, in Sorrisi’s newsroom to celebrate a special anniversary: 60 years since the release of his famous song Fatti mandare dalla mamma a prendere il latte, a timeless success of this ageless boy of Italian music.

Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni‘s week in Sanremo will continue from Sorrisi‘s newsroom, at the Royal Hotel, from where its director, Aldo Vitali, will fascinate all the Festival’s fans with exclusive contents on the magazine, website and social networks.
It all starts with a special good morning together with the competing singers and moves on to an evening Aperitif appointment with the director to discuss the Festival’s performances and set list together with personalities from the world of television and entertainment.

Webboh, which spoke on its social channels of the feelings and emotions of those present, is also among the event’s partners. As of Tuesday, Webboh will be present at Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni’s heardquarters, in the Webboh Room area set up to conduct all interviews with the Festival’s GenZ. The event will also be represented through TikTok videos, while a daily account with Will and a daily column with LDA will be published on Instagram.

The three special issues TV Sorrisi e Canzoni has dedicated to the Festival are another unmissable MUST. Following last week’s release with the iconic cover portraying all the singers together with Amadeus and Gianni Morandi, and containing an exclusive of the lyrics of the Festival’s songs, a new issue depicting the hosts Amadeus and Gianni Morandi together with their co-hosts Chiara Ferragni, Francesca Fagnani, Paola Egonu and Chiara Francini will be released tomorrow. While on Monday, February 13th, readers will instead be able to enjoy the cover of Sorrisi portraying Sanremo’s first three finalists, exclusively shot in the middle of the night and in the magazine’s newsroom immediately following the announcement, as well as a reportage of the event with intriguing revelations and interesting unpublished backstage stories.

A huge thank you to United Music, the opening party’s official music partner and supplier; DR Automobiles, who will accompany Sorrisi from Milan to Sanremo, allowing readers to admire the beauty of the Ligurian cities crossed, and Caffè Motta, who will offer relaxing moments to the editorial staff and guests for the entire duration of the Festival.

Here’s the video of Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni’s opening party in Sanremo: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoUPpUFokRR/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D

Electa presents Oilà, the new series, edited by Chiara Alessi, that tells the stories of twentieth-century female figures who distinguished themselves in the Italian and international creative setting (from design to fashion, architecture to music, illustrations to graphics, photography to literature) by practising disciplines and professions that had always been considered part of the male universe. The graphics are developed by Studio Sonnoli.

The first three titles, which will be simultaneously released on March 8, are dedicated to Elsa Schiaparelli, Lisetta Carmi and Vanessa Bell: three protagonists, three characters, three stories, three individuals stories that transformed the way of interpreting art, design, photography and fashion and that contributed to the social and artistic emancipation of women. The stories take place in the midst of wars, displacements and social revolutions, in a world, or profession, not considered suitable for women.

The books

The books, intended to be read aloud from beginning to end in forty-five minutes – a short journey –  detail the stories of people’s biographies, jobs, private situations and public achievements. Small in format, with a defined layout and special cover for each individual title, the texts were entrusted to scholars, experts, writers and professionals. Each series begins with a story or anecdote on the life and profession of these women, digging into their childhood, family or sentimental relationships, based on the correspondence and diaries preserved in the archives, or on unpublished and unknown projects, to free women from preconceptions only aimed as seeing them as daughters, wives or sisters (such as Vanessa for Virginia Woolf).

And so, the series, or collection, of monographic readings based on the characters’ personal stories was created in the form of notebooks.

The title

The playful title of the series, Oilà, was taken from the famous verses of the socialist song La Lega [The League], which then became part of common italian women workers’ life. “Although we’re women, we’re not afraid, we have beautiful and nice mouths to defend ourselves. A oilì oilì oilà and our league will grow.”

Oilà is also a way to greet someone unexpected, the sound of someone caught by surprise. This series represents the voice and work of women.

Rossella Locatelli

The future, whatever it may hold. Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa Schiaparelli’s circumstances seem like an ongoing struggle in the name of small freedoms. Alongside other women sharing this feeling. Fashion comes from instinct, revenge, necessity. Hers is a quick and absolutely spontaneous revolution. Although ironical or cruel at times, Schiap’s vision of fashion is closely linked to women’s obsessions and manias, or to a profound desire of independence. And… She is never alone in her fury.

Anna Toscano

With love and friendship. Lisetta Carmi

The hands, eyes and heart. Initially, Lisetta Carmi’s fingers run up and down the black and white keys of a piano, her eyes follow the keyboard from left to right, and her heart beats to the rhythm of a well-tempered harpsichord. Then, Lisetta Carmi’s fingers record and write the life of others through pictures. Pictures of people, streets, harbours, theatres, hospitals and cemeteries. Pictures of death and sex: of humanity Eyes and hearts to help her understand both others and herself. With love and friendship.

Luca Scarlini

Life is terrible and fun. Vanessa Bell

Vanessa Bell is always available for others: her husband, Clive Bell, despite his betrayals and critical mindset towards the artist’s life; Duncan Grant, the love of her life and colleague, who is however attracted by men; Omega Worshop, which according to its founder and financier, Roger Fry, wants to suppress the cult personality of her representatives; her sister, Virginia Woolf, through whom her work as an artist, graphic designer, decorator and illustrator is always interpreted. Vanessa Bell is there for others, those close to her have never jeopardised her art, on the contrary, they’ve fed it.

Rizzoli Education reinforces its commitment to gender equality and inclusiveness with the launch of the Glow UP empowerment campaign for its sales network.

The initiative has two key goals. The first is to continue interpreting and concretely implementing the Manifesto for gender equality and plurality launched in 2021, promoting the values of multiculturalism and the coexistence of different generations; principles the publishing house has always supported, inspiring not only its editorial and educational offering but its work environment.

The second main goal is boosting self-confidence among the people forming the Rizzoli Education team: highly qualified professionals with certified know-how whose work provides teachers with top-level assistance every day.

With Glow Up, the Mondadori Group publishing house wants to “add glow” to the value of the people in its sales network and establish the conditions for casting light on these people’s “unique”, specific talent, boosting their sense of belonging and fidelity.

In addition, the company wishes to develop an increasingly inclusive workplace where everyone can express their own qualities in the best possible way, creating a system capable of attracting the new generations, who are increasingly sensitive to these issues.

Rizzoli Education’s empowerment campaign will begin with a series of events focusing on women, promoting the affirmation of an increasingly feminine and inclusive leadership style in its sales network. The pillars of this process, which will be the focus of a series of webinars, meetings and events, are three keywords:  education, to generate awareness of one’s own value, flexibility, to support women making important life choices, and confidence for development of personal skills.

The first event – intended for women in the publishing house’s sales network – featured Francesca Rigolio, Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Human Resources in Trade Education Books for the Mondadori Group, with Alessandra Andriani, partner and general manager of the consulting firm MCA, and Annalisa Aceti, Rizzoli Education Sales Manager. The themes discussed at this inspirational meeting included career, power, language and stereotypes that can represent obstacles for gender equality.

Rizzoli Education‘s Glow Up campaign will continue throughout the year 2023 with monthly initiatives for the entire sales network to boost self-confidence and the ability of members of the publisher’s sales staff to respond to the new challenges of the market.

Salman Rushdie, one of the most important advocates of contemporary international culture, returns to bookstores with a new novel published by Mondadori: Victory City. The story speaks of the creation and development of Bisnaga (literally “Victory City” in 14th century India) by the will of the Goddess Pampa Kampana, who revealed herself to a young orphan bearing her name; but, above all, the story emphasises the most important goal: that of ensuring equal power to women in a patriarchal world.

Synopsis

In 14th century India, following a bloody battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, a nine-year-old girl makes a divine encounter bound to change the course of history.

The very young Pampa Kampana, overwhelmed with pain since her mother’s death, becomes a medium for her homonymous Goddess, who not only begins speaking through her, but who also grants her huge powers, thus revealing her role will be determinant for the birth of a great city called Bisnaga (literally “Victory City”).

Over the following 250 years, Pampa Kampana’s life is deeply intertwined with that of Bisnaga: from its creation, which was made possible thanks to a bag of magical seeds, to its tragic destruction, which was caused by the arrogance of the powerful. The story, whispered through the words our heroine, gradually gives life to Bisnaga and its citizens in the attempt to fulfil the task entrusted to her by the Goddess: ensuring equal power to women in a patriarchal world. However, all stories have a way of becoming independent from their creator, and Bisnaga is no exception. Over the years, following a succession of rulers, battles won and others lost, the fabric of Bisnaga continues to assume an increasingly more complex pattern, at the centre of which our heroine endures. Brilliantly structured like the translation of an ancient epic, Victory City is a saga of love, adventure, myth and a confirmation of the power of storytelling.

The author

Salman Rushdie, born in Mumbai, in 1945, moved to London at the age of fourteen and studied at King’s College, in Cambridge. Not only has he written novels such as Shame, Midnight’s Children, The Moor’s Last Sigh, Shalimar The Clown, The Enchantress of Florence, Quichotte, but also news stories and many essays. Following the 1988 publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses, he became subject of various serious threats and was forced to lead a semi-clandestine life under police protection. On August 12th 2022, he was severely stabbed at a literary event near New York. He is unanimously considered one of the most important advocates of contemporary international culture.