Mar. 5 – Enrico Brizzi, one of the most influential Italian novelists, will be the star of the conference at the Casa d’Italia Theater in Istanbul on “The sacred and the profane. On traveling on foot along ancient routes.” The event is scheduled for Friday, March 20. Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute, the conference will be moderated by Cristiano Bedin from the University of Istanbul. The writer – who in April 2008 embarked on a second two-month journey following in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims between Rome and Jerusalem, made his debut in the Italian literary scene as a teenager, with his first novel: “Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo” (1994). This success was translated into twenty-four languages and even became film in 1996. A book that influenced an entire generation. After this successful debut, Brizzi published numerous successful novels, approaching various literary genres. Brizzi also thought of the “Italica 150” project, a walking trip from north to south, between Alto Adige and Sicily, through secondary trails and roads (2991 km. in 90 days) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. (Red)