The seventh edition of Subway-Literature opens in Milan on May 21, 2008. The literary event is promoted in partnership with Tratto Pen, organised by Davide Franzini and Oliviero Ponte di Pino. Subway Literature 2008 stimulated the creativity of hundreds of young authors from every corner of Italy and strictly under 35. All the debuting writers and poets jumped at the chance to see their works published and freely distributed in the cities of Milan, Rome, Naples, Venice, Palermo and, starting this year, Mantua.

Where there is expressive creativity there is Tratto Pen, the true "arm" for all of Italy's creative minds.
Thus it is a mandatory event that brings the famous FILA pen and Subway-Literature together each year, collecting 700 stories and 200 poems since 2008, awarding 12 novelists and 7 poets, all equal winners of national publication and distribution rights. Starting May 21, the Literary Jukeboxes 2008 (the typical book distributors) will be installed in the Milan tube stations until June 11, moving on to the other cities in the Subway circuit.

In circulation between May and October, 13 booklets, all printed on 100% recycled paper, reaching an unprecedented number of copies this year: 4 million (more than 300,000 per title). Each published book will be enriched and commented by a preface signed by one of the members of the jury.

In addition to the literary event, the seventh edition of Subway-Literature includes two new initiatives:

The first is the "Tratto cover pages" contest, co-promoted in partnership with Tratto Pen, legendary event sponsor and pen-marker that has "guided" the hands of many talents for more than thirty years. Chaired by illustrator Alfredo Chiappori, the contest is open to young illustrators under 35 to create the cover pages for the winning works.

The second, also starting May 21st, is the renewed www.subway-letteratura.org website, the vast virtual jukebox to which young Italian authors can send their stories and poems and hold lively literary discussions throughout the year. Interaction and exchanges between authors will be further enhanced by the introduction of a new literary blog dedicated to writers, poets and readers who, after registering, can open discussions and send comments and opinions, creating a virtual network that will expand the books' physical distribution boundaries.