“The king is naked”: this is how many of us commented on the facts that have recently emerged around the small and medium publishing fair, resulting from the schizophrenic decision to dedicate the fair to Giulia Cecchettin and at the same time invite Leonardo Caffo, indicted for domestic violence. The king is naked, we said, hoping that it would finally begin to emerge what lies behind the choice of participants in events like this, and consequently which patronage system supports the great structure of the Italian cultural world.

We soon realized that our enthusiasm had been hasty. Meanwhile, everyone has – partly understandably – focused on the inconsistency of choice and the hypocrisy of preaching “sister I believe you” to every man on Earth except one’s friends; completely ignoring the underlying fact, namely that it is not normal to dedicate a book fair to a victim of a violent crime, because the two things have nothing to do with each other. And thus ignoring – for a change – the reasons that may animate such a choice: and what will they be, if not the fact that violence against women is the fashion of the moment, the argument with which one is certain to attract supporters, but also detractors useful for generating clashes and therefore interactions? It is also an excellent way to position oneself among the good, something that is very dear to the intellectuals (sic) of this country: we care about women, we care about victims, so even if it is completely out of place, out of context and out of focus, we insert the name of Giulia Cecchettin in the middle of an event that should talk about something else. In this way we will certainly honor his memory.

The real underlying problems are the exploitation of violence and friendship

This choice, until the moment Caffo’s name came up, suited everyone: not one of the pop feminists on social media (perpetually present on this type of occasion) dreamed of pointing out that it was a commercial move (even quite ignoble). Why on earth would they? If we start saying out loud that using murdered women to make people talk about us is wrong, we risk a serious unemployment problem. And in fact they aren’t saying it even now: the problem is solely and exclusively the presence of Caffo, which pollutes an otherwise very noble cause.

Another structural issue that the interested parties and those who orbit around them are desperately trying to overshadow is what Fulvio Abbate has long called “friendship”: the fact that many of the guests of the fair were not invited as of writers, journalists, critics etc. (although in many cases they are), but as friends of the curator. Again, it’s clear that not many people can afford to say this openly: again, unemployment is a bad prospect.

A fair for small publishers, which small publishers cannot afford to participate in

For the same reasons, it is unpleasant to admit that this fair does anything but help small and medium-sized publishers, given that – as some have openly stated on their social pages (for example Racconti Edizioni and LiberAria) – it is the fair with the stands most expensive in Italy, which includes companies that turn over less than 10 million euros a year under small publishing (evidently small publishers have never even seen them on postcards).

Issues apparently unrelated to each other, for some, but very closely intertwined, for those who work and live in this world. The need to sell, to the detriment of quality – actually to the detriment of literature, which is often the last thing people talk about – brings to the fore those who don’t care about quality, and those who are willing to exploit problems and social battles for one’s own gain; consequently, those who refuse to bow to certain logic and remain within a small reality, which carefully takes care of the books it prints and which prefers to invoice less but spread culture, are penalized even in that event which should be thought of on purpose for him. The friends, obviously, are functional to sales and positioning: because the friend is not only the one to whom you guarantee a place at the fair (or in the publishing house you work for), but is also the one who will climb on every possible mirror to defend yourself, whether out of sincere affection or fear of sinking with your ship. In short, he is the one who, being part of the good guys, legitimizes your goodness, as you his: in short, you sing it and play it, but your stage is the cultural world, and the Italians are the slightly stunned public that has not I understand who’s going to listen, but since the event is dedicated to a murdered girl, it definitely deserves it.

It is therefore not possible to talk about one topic without also touching on the others, provided that one really intends to talk about it and not just pretend. But since talking about it really doesn’t benefit anyone, we continue to hold sermons on Chiara Valerio’s serious mistake (inviting Caffo, not everything else), on the serious lack of respect towards victims of violence (inviting Caffo, not everything else ), in short, on the useless surface.

The king was perhaps naked for a few minutes; but the fig leaves are already ready, and in any case, once a Pope dies, another will always be made.