Italian author Daniele Mencarelli, whose novel inspired Netflix series, to visit Zagreb

Daniele Mencarelli, recognized as one of Italy's most esteemed contemporary writers, is set to visit Zagreb on September 22. The author, whose novel "Everything Seeks Salvation" was adapted into a successful Netflix series, will meet with his Croatian audience.

The event, organized by Naklada Ljevak and the Italian Institute of Culture, will take place at the Institute's premises. Mencarelli will introduce "Everything Seeks Salvation," a novel that earned him the prestigious Italian Strega Giovani award in 2020. The book draws from personal experience, offering an intimate and poignant look at life within a psychiatric facility. It delves into themes of mental health, addiction, friendship, and the quest for meaning.

The narrative is set in 1994, detailing Daniele's week-long involuntary psychiatric treatment following a night of substance abuse and anger. During his stay, he forms strong bonds with fellow patients, exploring the delicate balance between illness and recovery, despair and hope.

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Daniele Mencarelli, one of the most respected contemporary Italian writers and author of the novel "Everything Seeks Salvation," will visit Zagreb on September 22.

Mencarelli's literary work also includes "The House of the Guardian" and "Circular Time," forming an autobiographical trilogy inspired by his youthful struggles with anxiety, addiction, and emotional crises. His novel "The House of the Guardian" received several awards, and "Circular Time" was honored with the European Union Prize for Literature. "The House of the Guardian" was also adapted into a feature film in 2024.

This visit offers Croatian readers an opportunity to engage with Mencarelli about his literary career, the autobiographical elements in his novels, and the international success of his work, particularly the Netflix adaptation. Organizers invite literature enthusiasts to join the discussion with an author who transforms personal experiences into universal narratives of human vulnerability and the possibility of redemption.

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It is an autobiographically inspired work that, through the experience of a young protagonist, offers an intimate and poignant perspective on life within a psychiatric institution and addresses mental health, addiction, friendship, and the search for meaning.