TURIN. Yesterday was a record-breaking show and it was immediately understood by watching the very long lines that began to form even before the Lingotto’s doors opened. Tens of thousands of people lined up all day, at the gates and at meetings like that of Maccio Capatonda, whose wait for a seat seemed endless. Sometime in the morning, the organization also began handing out book-shaped fans to better endure the heat for visitors waiting to enter. But alongside the audience boom, it was a success for the publishers. The Mondadori Group speaks of + 35% turnover compared to the first two days of the October edition, and from Turin Golem is also satisfied: + 10% in 3 days. Ab and/or have already sold 700 books.
A large part of the credit goes to the young and very young, who have already set the trend with their selection and conquered the top of the best-selling books at the book fair. At Mondadori, the most requested title is the first volume of Heartstopper, the graphic novel by Alice Oseman, which is particularly popular with 14-18 year olds. Same situation with Adelphi: The bestseller is Patrick McGrath’s “Madness”, bought by teenagers aged 12 and over.
“Our stand was invaded by very young people – says Giusi de Luca, Adelphi’s commercial director – who choose Follia thanks to the advice of the Tiktokers, whom they trust and with whom they share emotions.” The Salone is this Year also on TikTok and this is the most social and “youngest” edition ever. There are already 5164 posts on Instagram with the hashtag #SalTo22 and 2.8 million views on TikTok. “We started reading thanks to the advice of Tiktokers and #Book Tok – say Ludovica Spadafora and Irene Musco, aged 17 and 16 – and compared to the books imposed by school, we discovered our love for reading.” Among her favorites is “Winter Boyfriends,” which is one of the most requested to date and/or in fact. Also to highlight the novels popular on TikTok in the Rizzoli space, there are two stands entitled “Recommended on TikTok”. “The secret to attracting new readers is to be consistent, use the right keywords and be able to summarize your verdict in 30 seconds,” explains Luigi Rapisarda, 24, Golem’s social media manager. Nowadays, in short, there is a virtual show that interacts with the real dialogue, and a bit like Eurovision, the drivers of the party are young people again.