Cristina Manetti will join us to present her book A Penelope che prende la valigia (Giunti), alongside Maria Elena Viola, editor-in-chief of Donna Moderna, with a special appearance by Nancy Brilli.

The Book:

This epistolary novel follows a mother writing to her twelve-year-old daughter, Penelope, and her friends, imagining a suitcase filled with words. Words that, when used wisely, can become actions, drive change, and shape their futures—just as they did for many women before them. It is a metaphor for Penelope’s journey but also for all young girls, future women still traveling toward equality and respect.

Courage, Freedom, Hope, Tenacity, Kindness, Respect, Joy, Imagination, Compassion, Future, Generosity, Change—these are just some of the words that will fill the girls’ suitcase, helping them become the architects of their own destinies.

The Author:

Cristina Manetti is a journalist, Chief of Staff for the Tuscany Region, and President of the Casa di Dante Museum. She is also the creator of Toscana delle Donne, a groundbreaking initiative by the Tuscany Region aimed at combating gender-based violence and discrimination while promoting women's rights, merits, and talents through innovative and unconventional approaches.

Since its launch in 2022, Toscana delle Donne has grown into a movement, with three editions, dozens of events, and thousands of participants. The initiative addresses gender equality across various fields, from work and culture to science and sports. Recognized by the European Union as a model of best practices, it has attracted the involvement of renowned journalists, actresses, artists, musicians, and scientists—including Lucia Goracci, Giovanna Botteri, Isabella Ferrari, Stefania Sandrelli, Alessio Boni, Milly Carlucci, Dacia Maraini, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, among many others.

A particularly significant moment in this journey was the solidarity campaign for Iranian women, including the appeal for the release of Iranian Nobel Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, launched on November 25 alongside another Nobel laureate, Oleksandra Matviichuk.

All of this is driven by the firm belief that: "The freedom of every woman is the freedom of all, and violence against one of them affects every woman, wherever she may be."