Gian Carlo Ferretti - Giulia Iannuzzi, <i>Storie di uomini e libri</i>
10.13125/2039-6597/1840
Anyone who is familiar with the history of Italian publishing will have come across the name of Gian Carlo Ferretti. He is one of the leading critics and scholars in the field and has engaged in extensive research since the sixties, writing an impressive number of volumes and contributions – among them, the seminal text Storia dell’editoria letteraria in Italia, 1945-2003, published by Einaudi in 2004. Storie di uomini e libri, co-authored with Giulia Iannuzzi, relates to the line of research opened and developed by Ferretti throughout his life on the relation between literature, market, and cultural production. The premise of this volume, and of Ferretti’s entire work, is that literature, culture, and publishing industry are inextricably linked...
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Gian Carlo Ferretti - Giulia Iannuzzi, <i>Storie di uomini e libri</i>
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Laura Pennacchietti
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Gian Carlo Ferretti - Giulia Iannuzzi, <i>Storie di uomini e libri</i>
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5
  




     Gian  Carlo  Ferretti  -­‐‑  Giulia  Iannuzzi  
             Storie  di  uomini  e  libri  
                    Roma,  Minimum  Fax,  2014,  318  pp.  
          Anyone   who   is   familiar   with   the   history   of   Italian   publishing  
will  have  come  across  the  name  of  Gian  Carlo  Ferretti.  He  is  one  of  the  
leading   critics   and   scholars   in   the   field   and   has   engaged   in   extensive  
research   since   the   sixties,   writing   an   impressive   number   of   volumes  
and  contributions  –  among  them,  the  seminal  text  Storia  dell’editoria  let-­‐‑
teraria  in  Italia,  1945-­‐‑2003,  published  by  Einaudi  in  2004.  Storie  di  uomini  
e  libri,  co-­‐‑authored  with  Giulia  Iannuzzi,  relates  to  the  line  of  research  
opened   and   developed   by   Ferretti   throughout   his   life   on   the   relation  
between   literature,   market,   and   cultural   production.   The   premise   of  
this  volume,  and  of  Ferretti’s  entire  work,  is  that  literature,  culture,  and  
publishing  industry  are  inextricably  linked:  just  as  there  is  no  publish-­‐‑
ing   industry   without   literature,   there   is   no   literature   without   publish-­‐‑
ing.   Publishers   are   those   who   enable   literature   to   exist   and   circulate,  
and  their  double  role  of  businessmen  and  agents  of  cultural  production  
generates   all   the   contradictions   that   are   constitutive   of   the   book   mar-­‐‑
ket,   and   that   also   affect   literary   production.   This   premise   might   seem  
obvious  to  many  –  especially  to  those  that  are  familiar  with  the  work  of  
Bourdieu  and  other  sociologists  of  literature,  but  is  still  looked  askance  
at  by  the  defenders  of  ‘pure’  literature,  who  cling  to  the  idea  of  litera-­‐‑
ture  as  an  untainted  form  of  art  not  compromised  by  commercial  con-­‐‑
cerns  and  issues  related  to  the  market.  A  fortiori,  research  works  on  the  
material   conditions   of   literary   and   cultural   production   are   nowadays  
much  needed.        




Between,  vol.  V,  n.  9  (Maggio/  May  2015)    
Gian  Carlo  Ferretti  -­‐‑  Giulia  Iannuzzi,  Storie  di  uomini  e  libri  (Laura  Pennacchietti)  



         As   aptly   pointed   out   by   Iannuzzi   in   an   interview   to   the   Italian  
radio  programme  Fahrenheit1,  the  main  contention  of  Storie  di  uomini  e  
libri   had   already   been   brought   forward   by   Ferretti   in   his   Storia  
dell’editoria   letteraria:   in   Italy   book   series   went   from   embodying  
«politiche,  pratiche,  orientamenti  delle  rispettive  case  editrici»  (p.  5)  to  
being  «contenitori»  (p.  6)  lacking  a  proper  identity  and  consistency  in  
the  inclusion  of  works.  The  concept  of  ‘identità  editorial-­‐‑letteraria’,  so  
relevant  to  the  history  of  publishing,  is  central  to  the  volume,  its  con-­‐‑
cerns,  and  methodology.  The  deterioration  of  the  function  of  book  se-­‐‑
ries   mirrors   broader   transformations   the   publishing   industry   under-­‐‑
went   in   the   1970s   and   1980s,   notably   a   shift   from   a   publishing   ap-­‐‑
proach   focused   on   authors   and   the   creation   of   a   distinctive   catalogue,  
which  favoured  the  long-­‐‑lasting  affiliation  of  an  author  with  a  publish-­‐‑
er,  to  a  strategy  focused  on  titles  leading  to  a  tendency  to  chase  works  
that  might  be  successful,  without  a  real  concern  for  the  consistency  of  
the  catalogue:            

                    […]  il  passaggio  […]  da  una  politica  d’autore  formativa  nella  prospettiva  
                    del  catalogo  e  della  durata,  e  della  (reciproca)  fedeltà  e  appartenenza  
                    autore-­‐‑editore,  alla  ricerca  estemporanea  di  questo  o  quell’autore,  con  
                    una   diffusa   tendenza   al   nomadismo,   e   una   politica   di   titolo   nella   pro-­‐‑
                    spettiva  della  stagione  e  del  mercato  (p.  6).    

The   concept   of   book   series   is   thus   closely   related   to   that   of   literary-­‐‑
publishing   identity,   and   the   weakening   of   the   function   of   series   goes  
hand  in  hand  with  the  fading  of  distinct  identities  in  the  book  market  
in  the  period  examined,  as  a  general  trend  which  is  not  without  excep-­‐‑
tions.    
         But   the   originality   of   this   volume   lies   in   its   structure   and   in   its  
claim  that  «le  collane  possono  fare  storia  da  sole»  (p.  5):  it  is  possible  to  
trace  a  publishing,  literary,  and  cultural  history  of  Italy  in  the  period  in  
question  –  20th  century  –  through  the  study  of  its  most  significant  book  



                                                                                                 
                   1
                       Rai  radio  3,  29th  July  2014.  


2  
                                                              Between,  vol.  V,  n.  8  (Maggio/May  2015)  



series  –  the  authors  have  chosen  forty-­‐‑five2.  As  they  mention  in  the  in-­‐‑
troductory   note,   every   chapter   covers   a   series,   giving   the   volume   the  
form  of  a  mini  (and  by  no  means  inclusive)-­‐‑encyclopaedia  of  book  se-­‐‑
ries   in   chronological   order.   This   is   indeed   one   of   the   readings   of   the  
volume   that   Ferretti   had   envisaged:   «un   manuale   di   consultazione:  
schede,   carte   di   identità»,   as   he   explained   in   the   interview   to   Fahren-­‐‑
heit.  ‘Carte  d’identità’  seems  to  be  the  right  expression  to  describe  the  
profiles  at  the  end  of  each  chapter,  that  really  look  like  identity  records  
containing   details   of   each   series   (name,   publisher,   period   of   issuing),  
followed  by  a  very  useful  bibliography  of  resources  on  the  subject  in-­‐‑
cluding   primary   sources   such   as   archives.   Storie   di   uomini   e   libri   can  
thus  also  be  used  as  a  reference  work  on  book  series,  and  has  the  merit  
of   collecting   and   sorting   information   that   were   previously   scattered  
across  several  sources,  in  a  volume  that  makes  them  easy  to  access.      
         This   is   not   to   say   that   all   the   authors   did   was   gathering   infor-­‐‑
mation  from  other  sources  –  if  many  of  the  series  included  in  the  vol-­‐‑
ume  are  well-­‐‑known  and  have  been  widely  studied,  others  are  relative-­‐‑
ly  minor  and/or  quite  recent  and  one  has  the  feeling  that  were  it  not  for  
a  volume  like  this,  they  would  hardly  be  given  any  attention  or  visibil-­‐‑
ity,  despite  being  significant  from  a  cultural  and  literary  point  of  view  
(e.g.  ‘Collana  Praghese’  by  e/o,  ‘Lèkythos’  by  Crocetti,  ‘Letterature’  by  
Theoria,   and   ‘Transeuropa’   by   Il   lavoro   editoriale,   that   later   assumed  
the   name   of   Transeuropa   itself).   The   authors   took   as   their   object   of  
study  literary  and  cultural  production  at  large:  book  series  considered  
in  the  volume  are  those  that  for  different  reasons  are  deemed  relevant  
to  the  Italian  cultural  scene,  and  include  such  diverse  publishing  pro-­‐‑
jects   as   ‘Mondo   Piccolo’   –   de   facto   book   series   composed   of   the   ex-­‐‑
tremely  popular  works  by  Guareschi  on  the  adventures  of  Don  Camillo  
and   Peppone   –   alongside   the   series   of   the   elitist   publisher   Vanni  
Scheiwiller,   who   went   so   far   in   his   aristocratic   attitude   as   to   print   a  

                                                                                                 
                   2
                       A  less  ambitious  antecedent  is  the  volume  Una  collana  tira  l’altra  (2009),  
written   by   the   students   of   the   Master   in   Professioni   e   Prodotti   dell’Editoria  
held  by  Collegio  Universitario  Santa  Caterina  da  Siena.  



                                                                                                           3  
Gian  Carlo  Ferretti  -­‐‑  Giulia  Iannuzzi,  Storie  di  uomini  e  libri  (Laura  Pennacchietti)  



volume  in  eight  copies.  It  is  thus  an  inclusive  study  that  offers  a  truth-­‐‑
ful  picture  of  the  complex  and  multifaceted  world  of  publishing  and  a  
valuable   methodological   contribution   to   the   history   of   publishing,   a  
field  that  has  to  find  ways  to  account  for  the  most  disparate  and  even  
contradictory  facts  and  data.  
          In  writing  a  publishing  and  cultural  history  through  book  series,  
Ferretti   and   Iannuzzi   also   wrote   a   history   of   the   book   series   in   Italy,  
tracing  its  rising  and  then  falling  trajectory  in  Italian  publishing.  That  is  
why  although  dealing  with  the  20th  century,  the  volume  goes  back  to  
Treves’  collection  ‘Biblioteca  Amena’,  emblematic  of  a  period  in  which  
book  series  did  not  have  such  strong  identities  –  all  of  Treves’  literary  
series   were   very   similar;   the   same   author,   and   even   the   same   book,  
could   be   included   and   reprinted   in   different   series.   In   the   aforemen-­‐‑
tioned   interview,   Ferretti   pointed   out   the   pioneering   role   played   by  
Treves:  «noi  abbiamo  scelto  un  arco  storico,  il  Novecento,  e  c’è  Treves  
all’origine  di  tutto  questo».  A  glance  at  ‘Biblioteca  Amena’  and  Treves,  
who   built   its   fortune   on   this   and   others   collections   of   popular   litera-­‐‑
ture,  allows  readers  to  appreciate  the  rise  and  the  evolution  of  the  book  
series  from  an  indefinite  and  weak  publishing  category  –  a  sort  of  box  
in  which  one  could  put  more  or  less  anything  –  to  «strutture,  pilastri  su  
cui  si  fonda  l’editoria»:  the  veritable  pillars  of  publishing.  
          The  following  chapters  draw  this  rising  trajectory,  taking  us  on  a  
journey  through  book  series,  some  of  which  have  really  made  the  his-­‐‑
tory   of   Italian   publishing:   ‘I   libri   gialli’,   ‘Medusa’,   ‘I   coralli’,   ‘BUR’,   ‘I  
gettoni’,   ‘I   Narratori   di   Feltrinelli’,   ‘Biblioteca   Adelphi’,   ‘Oscar   Mon-­‐‑
dadori’,   but   also   less   popular   but   culturally   significant   series   like  
‘Edizioni   di   Solaria’,   the   numerous   collections   by   Vanni   Scheiwiller,  
who   proudly   claimed   he   would   have   «più   collane   che   libri»   (p.   139),  
‘Biblioteca  delle  Silerchie’,  and  so  on.  These  belong  to  the  golden  age  of  
book   series,   a   time   when   books   and   authors   could   be   turned   down   if  
there  was  no  appropriate  series  to  contain  them.  This  is  the  reason  why  
readers  and  editors,  like  Vittorini,  could  work  for  different  publishers  
at  the  same  time,  without  being  subject  to  a  conflict  of  interest:    in  the  
age   of   ‘editori   protagonisti’,   publishing   houses   had   well-­‐‑defined   liter-­‐‑
ary-­‐‑publishing   identities   that   distinguished   one   from   another   and  


4  
                                                         Between,  vol.  V,  n.  8  (Maggio/May  2015)  



meant  that,  broadly  speaking,  a  book  that  was  suitable  for  Mondadori  
was   not   suitable   for   Einaudi   and   vice   versa.   These   identities   were   ex-­‐‑
pressed  chiefly  through  book  series.  The  well-­‐‑known  expression  ‘edito-­‐‑
ri  protagonisti’,  coined  by  Valentino  Bompiani  and  adopted  by  Ferretti  
to   describe   this   publishing   era,   can   be   related   to   the   title   of   the   book,  
Storie  di  uomini  e  libri,  that  emphasizes  the  centrality  of  agents  in  pub-­‐‑
lishing  work  and  in  the  volume.  The  book  does  not  fail  to  convey  the  
central  role  played  by  a  few  key  figures  particularly  in  the  post-­‐‑war  pe-­‐‑
riod   and   until   the   1970s   –   not   only   publishers   but   also   editors   were  
protagonists   –   and   the   fact   that   some   book   series   were   direct   expres-­‐‑
sion  of  the  cultural  work  and  the  literary  leanings  of  their  editors  (even  
though  these  were  always  necessarily  mediated  by  the  publisher’s  gen-­‐‑
eral   strategy   and   demands).   Such   series   are   referred   to   as   «collane  
d’autore»:  among  the  most  notable  there  are  ‘Centopagine’,  directed  by  
Italo  Calvino,  ‘I  gettoni’,  directed  by  Elio  Vittorini,  and  ‘Biblioteca  delle  
Silerchie’,  directed  by  Giacomo  Debenedetti.    
         Nonetheless,   it   would   be   misleading   to   assume   that   any   fact   or  
event  in  publishing  is  the  result  of  a  rationale  that  can  be  (easily)  dis-­‐‑
cerned   and   uncovered,   even   in   a   period   in   which   publishers’   cata-­‐‑
logues  were  the  expression  of  their  identity  much  more  than  it  is  today.  
Anyone  who  has  embarked  on  the  study  of  publishing  matters  knows  
that  when  dealing  with  this  subject  it  is  necessary  to  always  allow  for  
the   presence   of   a   ‘random’   element:   factors   that   influence   publishers’  
activity  and  editorial  decisions  are  so  many  and  disparate  that  it  is  of-­‐‑
ten  arduous  to  reconstruct  the  reasoning  and  agency  behind  them,  and  
the   events   surrounding   the   publication   and   dissemination   of   works.  
Archives  are  certainly  the  most  useful  source  of  information  to  try  and  
disentangle  the  numerous  conundrums  that  the  researcher  of  publish-­‐‑
ing  history  has  to  face.  As  previously  mentioned,  Iannuzzi  and  Ferretti  
often  include  archives  among  their  sources,  especially  Archivio  Fonda-­‐‑
zione  Arnoldo  e  Alberto  Mondadori  and  APICE  (Archivi  della  parola,  
dell’immagine   e   della   comunicazione   editoriale),   the   archive   centre   of  
the  University  of  Milan.    




                                                                                                     5  
Gian  Carlo  Ferretti  -­‐‑  Giulia  Iannuzzi,  Storie  di  uomini  e  libri  (Laura  Pennacchietti)  



         The  turning  point  in  the  history  of  book  series,  according  to  Fer-­‐‑
retti,  is  when  Mondadori  made  a  clean  sweep  of  all  its  series  of  fiction  
and  nonfiction  to  start  a  new,  indefinite  series  called  ‘Scrittori  italiani  e  
stranieri’,  between  1967  and  1971.  Those  years  were  a  period  of  struc-­‐‑
tural  changes  in  the  publishing  industry,  as  previously  stated.  The  se-­‐‑
ries  that  better  exemplifies  the  new  phase  of  the  history  of  book  series  
and   of   Italian   publishing   is   ‘Stile   libero’,   and   it   is   no   coincidence   that  
the   authors   chose   to   conclude   the   volume   with   it.   ‘Stile   libero’   was  
started  in  1996  by  Einaudi  following  a  period  of  crisis  that  was  as  much  
a   financial   as   an   identity   crisis,   ended   in   1994   with   its   takeover   by  
Mondadori.  It  is  a  heterogeneous  and  ‘centrifugal’  series  which  is  able  
to   contain   the   most   diverse   works,   genres,   and   styles   –   «letteratura   e  
spettacolo,   fumetti   e   video,   manuali   e   sottogeneri   narrativi,   giallo   e  
noir,  comico  e  fantascienza,  memorie  e  altro  ancora»  (p.  294)  –  looking  
like  the  opposite  of  the  concept  of  book  series  that  has  been  delineated  
throughout  the  book,  especially  coming  from  a  publisher  like  Einaudi.  
Despite   being   in   fact   somehow   representative   of   Einaudi’s   new,   more  
market-­‐‑oriented  identity  («una  sorta  di  rivisitazione  dello  sperimental-­‐‑
ismo  einaudiano  in  una  chiave  nuova  e  moderna  e  con  molto  interesse  
per  il  mercato»,  in  Ferretti’s  words),  its  total  lack  of  distinguishing  fea-­‐‑
tures   epitomises   the   weakening   of   the   concept   of   book   series   and   the  
end  of  their  role  of  «pillars»  and  «structures»  of  Italian  publishing.  Alt-­‐‑
hough   it   is   still   possible   to   find   series   with   a   well-­‐‑defined   identity   (a  
well-­‐‑known   example   is   ‘Memoria’   by   Sellerio),   ‘series-­‐‑containers’   un-­‐‑
doubtedly   represent   the   most   common   trend   of   today’s   publishing  
scene,  particularly  as  far  as  large  publishers  are  concerned.  Book  series  
included  in  the  last  part  of  the  volume  belong  mostly  to  small  publish-­‐‑
ers  (Sellerio,  Crocetti,  e/o,  Theoria,  Transeuropa).  It  is  no  surprise  that  
well-­‐‑characterised  book  series  today  are  to  be  found  chiefly  in  the  cata-­‐‑
logues  of  small  independent  publishers,  since  newcomers  can  only  rely  
on   the   creation   of   a   unique   and   convincing   identity   to   emerge   in   the  
publishing  field,  as  posited  by  Bourdieu’s  field  theory.    
       In  conclusion,  Storie  di  uomini  e  libri  is  a  book  that  can  be  profitably  
read   both   by   experts   of   the   field,   for   whom   it   could   be   particularly  
useful   as   a   reference   work,   and   by   the   general   public,   that   would   be  


6  
                                                    Between,  vol.  V,  n.  8  (Maggio/May  2015)  



introduced   to   the   world   of   publishing   in   an   enjoyable   but   not  
superficial   way.   Keeping   with   the   topic,   Storie   di   uomini   e   libri   is  
representative  of  the  book  series  in  which  it  is  included  –  ‘Filigrana’  by  
Minimum  Fax  is  a  non-­‐‑fiction  series  dedicated  to  literature  and  writing  
in  its  broadest  sense,  featuring  valuable  and  engaging  volumes  that  can  
appeal   to   inquiring   and   cultivated,   but   not   necessarily   specialist,  
readers.    
         



                                    The  author  
Laura  Pennacchietti  
        
      3rd   year   PhD   student   in   Italian   Studies   at   the   University   of  
Manchester.  
        
      Email:  laura.pennacchietti@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk  



                                    The  review  
Date  sent:  15/01/2015  
Date  accepted:  01/04/2015  
Date  published:  15/05/2015  



                      How  to  cite  this  book  review  
Pennacchietti,   Laura,   “Gian   Carlo   Ferretti   –   Giulia   Iannuzzi,   Storie   di  
uomini  e  libri”,  Between,  V.9  (2015),  http://www.Betweenjournal.it/  
  




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