Last week my neighbours moved to a retirement home. They built the house next door 50 years ago, and raised their three children there. We had watched one another go about our daily lives for nearly twenty years. Over the last few months, from my patio table I watched as fifty years’ worth of belongings went into the recycling bin or into the junk truck. As Madame B said, we have to take the next step, however difficult it may be. We have to look ahead. We have to prepare. Change is necessary and unavoidable.
We’ve been publishing Accenti for nearly ten years. As we look ahead as well, about a year ago we decided to send out a “Call for guest editors.” The aim was to invite young people with fresh ideas to help us pursue a very worthy labour of love. In this issue, we are pleased to present a special section on cultural identity prepared by guest editor Laura Sanchini. Laura invited members of the younger generation to tell their stories in their own words. Laura Sanchini is completing her Ph.D. in the Department of Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland. To know more about her background, read Michael Mirolla’s article in Accenti Issue 15.
In this issue we also feature the first-place winners of Accenti’s annual contests. “Silent in Its Shout: A Long Weekend in Sicilia” by Susan Musgrave is the winner of this year’s Accenti Writing Contest. Mark Bednarczyk won first prize in this year’s Accenti Photo Competition by capturing an Italian moment with his photo “Carnival in Venice.” The 7th annual Accenti Magazine Awards were held on April 14.
Also in this issue, Roberto Ciuffini introduces Strega Literary Prize winner Edoardo Nesi, and Alberto Mario DeLogu has the “last word” on Italy’s unyielding gerontocracy. Don’t forget to take a peak at the Book Section for some summer reading ideas. This past March, Accenti collaborated with Guernica Editions, the Association of Italian Canadian Writers and Columbus Centre of Toronto in the publication and launch across Canada of two books: Behind Barbed Wire: Creative Works on the Internment of Italian Canadians and Beyond Barbed Wire: Essays on the Internment of Italian Canadians.
This past June also saw events organized across Canada to mark Italian Heritage Month. Through the “Books and Biscotti Literary Series,” sponsored in part by Accenti, in collaboration with National Congress of Italian Canadians President Michael Tibollo and Association of Italian Canadian Writers co-ordinator Giulia De Gasperi, events were held in Vancouver, Edmonton, Trail (BC), Timmins and Toronto.
Visit us during Montreal’s Italian Week – Accenti will have its own booth on St. Laurent Boulevard in Little Italy from August 17 to 19. Go to www.semaineitalienne.ca/en for the full program. Pick up the new 2013 Accenti Calendar containing the best photos from the Accenti “Capture an Italian Moment” Photo Contest.
Happy reading and have a wonderful summer!
