Il Circolo invited Ornella Tarantola and Paola De Carolis to The Gore Hotel Library for an aperitif and a chat about their book :“Una libraia a Londra” – Guida sentimentale di una città tra romanzi, parchi e panchine.
Come and join us!
Books on sale, 30% of the day’s profit goes towards Il Circolo Awards.
It all begins with a love story. Not a perfect one, but one that withstands its contradictions. For over thirty years, for Italians in London, the Italian Bookshop has been an institution, a point of reference, a home. At the heart of that world was Ornella Tarantola, a bookseller by vocation, who transformed a bookshop into a haven of conversation, wine, book launches and life-changing encounters.
Having arrived in London during a difficult period, guided by intuition and a dream, Ornella forged a deep bond with the city, weathering moments of enthusiasm, confusion and the pain of Brexit. London was freedom and a test of courage, home and a sense of disorientation: the bench hidden amongst the roses in Regent’s Park, the wild hills of Hampstead Heath, the bright doorway of Cecil Court where it all began.
Three years on from the closure of the historic bookshop – which, as well as writers, also welcomed celebrities such as Ezio Bosso, Simon Callow, Colin Firth and Gianni Morandi… – Ornella dedicates a sentimental guide to her adopted city, written together with her friend and journalist Paola De Carolis: a personal journey through parks and benches, strolls with penniless actors, small museums, markets and charity shops, famous houses, pubs, bookshops and hidden corners unknown to most. A narrative that weaves together memory and the present, curiosities and art, good food and practical tips, allowing you to get to know the British capital like a true insider.
