What began as an online initiative now brings together a core group of around a dozen regular participants. The club also serves as an official presidio letterario for the Premio Strega and sits on the jury of two other Italian literary awards.

The project is led by Robert Farotto, an Italian-Australian engineer with a strong background in the tech sector and a passion for literature.

Farotto also holds degrees in Communication Sciences and DAMS (arts and performance studies) from Turin, reflecting a long-standing interest in Italian culture.

The book club dates to November 2020, during the height of the pandemic. With Italy in lockdown and Australia’s borders closed, Farotto was looking for a way to recreate a sense of community.

“I thought about doing something to bring people together, at a time when everyone was stuck at home,” he recalls.

The result was Librinsieme, an online Italian-language book club open to anyone interested in contemporary Italian literature.

Five years on, the group continues to meet regularly, with participants from across Australia. While many are based in Sydney, others join from different cities. The format, initially born out of necessity, has remained online.

The club focuses on contemporary Italian novels published in the past five years, later expanding to include essays and other formats. The first book discussed was La vita bugiarda degli adulti by Elena Ferrante.

From the beginning, the project was supported by Babelica, a literary association in Turin with which Farotto had previous connections. Through this network, the group has been able to engage directly with authors or leading experts.

“Meeting the authors, or those who know their work best, is a key part of the experience,” Farotto says.

The group reflects a diverse community: long-term Italian migrants, second-generation Italian-Australians and participants from other backgrounds—including Chinese, Irish and Australian—who have learned Italian and want to maintain it.

Since 2021, Librinsieme has been recognised as a presidio letterario of the Dante Alighieri Society, allowing it to take part in the voting process for the Premio Strega.

“We contribute to the popular jury that helps select the final shortlist from the 12 nominated books. We cast a collective vote, and we’re proud of that,” Farotto explains.

Each year, between April and May, the group undertakes an intensive reading period, covering all 12 shortlisted books.

Each member presents one title, followed by group discussion and a secret ballot. The results are submitted confidentially to the organisers.

In addition to the Premio Strega, the club also serves on the jury for the Premio Dora Nera, dedicated to noir fiction, and the Premio Amalago for historical novels.

For participants, reading in Italian in Australia has a deeper significance.

“In our discussions, our Italian cultural background always comes through—our connection to Italy, our habits, the way we speak,” Farotto says.

“Living here, there’s a risk of losing touch with how Italian culture evolves. This helps us stay connected through literature.”

The group is currently reading Libri insieme by Chiara Faggiolani, with an online meeting with the author scheduled for April 1.

Those interested in joining can contact the Dante Alighieri Society of Sydney. Membership of the society or the Italian Cultural Institute is required.