Italy Establishes 'Capital of the Book' Title Starting 2020

Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage has created the title 'Capitale Italiana del Libro' (Italian Capital of the Book), effective from 2020, as part of a new law promoting reading passed by the Senate. The title will be awarded annually by the Council of Ministers to a city selected through a competitive process based on project proposals. The winning city will receive €500,000 in funding. The initiative mirrors the existing 'Capitale Italiana della Cultura' and the UNESCO World Book Capital, which has only been awarded to one Italian city—Turin in 2006, in collaboration with Rome. Minister Dario Franceschini hailed the law as a major step forward, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive publishing law modeled on cinema legislation. The law also includes a national plan for reading promotion, increased tax credits for bookstores, a €100 culture card for economically disadvantaged families to purchase books, a 5% cap on book discounts to support small bookstores and publishers, the establishment of a Register of Quality Bookstores, a €1 million fund for training school library staff, and simplified rules for donating unsellable books (exempt from VAT).