Doina Ruști took part, alongside writer Omar di Monopoli and Professor Roberto Merlo, in a literary event hosted by Simonetta Bitasi.
The event took place during the Gavoi Literary Festival (L’Isola delle Storie) in Sardinia, between June 28 – July 2, 2018, with the public reading held in Piazza Mesu Bidda.
During the festival, Doina Ruști met Italian novelist Paolo Giordano
and Marcello Fois, the festival’s president and founder of L’Isola delle Storie — both highly regarded figures in contemporary Italian literature.
(photo: Doina Ruști and Marcello Fois)
The festival, one of the most beautiful literary gatherings in Europe, was made possible with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute, and was covered in major Romanian media outlets, including România liberă, Libertatea, and Evenimentul Zilei.
During the event, actor Valentino Mannias performed a reading from The Phanariot Manuscript by Doina Ruști, translated into Italian by Roberto Merlo.
🎥 Watch the video here.
Originally published in 2018 – updated October 2025
