October 22, 2025 – 6:30 p.m.

L’incontenibile forza della gentilezza

Ottavio Olita in conversation with Massimo Dadea

This work combines reality and fiction. The real-life aspect recounts the educational efforts of a grandfather toward his thirteen-year-old grandson, introducing him to initiatives and organizations in Sardinia that promote solidarity, hospitality, and integration—rehabilitation communities, volunteer associations, and individual social projects.

The fictional element draws inspiration from Olita’s previous work, Sulle tracce di Almedia, to describe the humanitarian efforts in support of immigration carried out by young members of the Associazione Mosaico di Popoli. One of their collaborators is murdered just as he is about to reveal the names of criminals profiting from the suffering of desperate refugees arriving from Africa.

It’s a blend of altruism in both real life and fictional reconstruction—depicting everyday events that are often ignored or marginalized. On the horrific market of exploitation born of despair, the book includes direct testimonies from an African studies professor and a journalist.

The narrative, intertwining fiction and reality, unfolds across Paris, Cagliari, Rome, Siena, and London.

Role models demonstrating how one can live with and for others, without selfishness: Adriano Olivetti and Gigi Riva.

Bio:

Ottavio Olita taught French Language and Literature at the University of Cagliari from 1974 to 1980. He then moved into journalism, working for La Voce Sarda, Ansa, La Nuova Sardegna, and, since 1988, Rai.