Book O'Clock Giugno 2025

Book O’Clock

When: Sunday 22nd June 2025, 3:00PM

Where: SIAL.school, 154-156 Holland Park Avenue, W114UH London (closest tube station: Holland Park)

A collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of London and hosted by Gloria Danili, Book O’Clock is our monthly children’s book club for readers aged 4-11. Each session invites young learners to discover a new Italian children’s book through engaging storytelling, creative workshops, and interactive activities—all designed to spark imagination, foster language skills, and nurture a love for literature.

This month, a very SPECIAL event is scheduled, involving a collaboration between the Italian Cultural Institute in London and IL CIRCOLO, centred around MatchPoint Junior – the art and literary competition for children aged between 8 and 12 living in the UK.

Our enthusiastic Book O’Clockers will be divided into two age groups (4–7 years and 8–12 years) led by two of the competition’s judges – Gloria Danili and Julia Brizi Della Rosa – in the lovely setting of SIAL.school on Holland Park Avenue.

The younger Book O’Clockers will discover In the Tube, a beautiful silent book by Alice Barberini (published by Orecchio Acerbo), and take part in a London-themed creative workshop.

Meanwhile, the older Book O’Clockers – those in the competition age group – will have the opportunity to take part in the themed workshop, develop a piece of writing or artwork, and enter the competition itself!

Gloria and Julia will arrive with a suitcase full of souvenirs from their travels, and – with prompts and ideas, inspiration and music – they’ll encourage the Book O’Clockers to write a short story or a poem, or to create an image inspired by the theme of the competition: TRAVEL.

As always, don’t forget to set your clocks (and mark your calendars): storytime is about to strike once more, bringing with it a train full of magic and creativity!

Please note that the whole event will be held in Italian.

Register today

Registration is now closed.

GLORIA DANILI

Gloria Danili was born in Monza in 1982 with a vivid imagination. After completing a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the Catholic University of Milan, she worked as a television writer (for DeaKids and Super!). She has published Tamara Tombé e la stella del teatro with Lapis Edizioni, Kimptaci and Dioptra; the five-book Blanche series with Il Battello a Vapore (Piemme) and Pocket Jeunesse; and La bizzarra società segreta di Mr Moore with Edizioni Corsare, who will also soon be publishing her first picture book.

Since 2021, she has curated and led Book O’Clock for the Italian Cultural Institute in London at the SIAL School. She is currently working with Roman Stefanski on her first theatre production in the UK.

JULIA BRIZI DELLA ROSA

Julia has a background in communications, where she helped iconic brands tell compelling stories. She later specialised in writing for children and founded the publishing house Atellier, which creates high-quality books, poetry collections, and bespoke letters for children, adults, and family-run businesses.

With Atellier, she has combined her passion for the arts and storytelling.

ALICE BARBERINI
Illustrated poetry or poetic illustration? Her works revolve around this very question. Born in 1977 in Cesena, but Rimini has always been her home, Alice Barberini studied art in Ravenna. After graduating, her interest in restoration took her to Florence, where she worked for several years as a restorer. In 2007, she discovered the world of illustration and from that moment decided to change her profession. Along this second educational path, she was fortunate to meet great masters such as Mauro Evangelista, Carll Cneut, Gek Tessaro, Dusan Kallay, Camila Stancolová, Luigi Raffaelli, and Giovanna Zoboli.Since 2012, she has been working with the Nie Wiem Collective – eight illustrators committed to promoting quality art and illustration across the country.

IL CIRCOLO

Il Circolo is a charity that promotes Italian culture in the United Kingdom through events, and raises funds for scholarships and projects related to the Italian language and culture.

Brought to you by:

IIC London

The Italian Cultural Institute of London, the official body of the Italian State, aims to promote and improve awareness of the Italian language and culture in Great Britain through the organization of cultural events to promote the circulation of ideas, arts and sciences.

SIAL.Courses

At the heart of SIAL.courses’ mission is the teaching of the Italian language and culture.
We offer a wide range of Italian courses, with tailor-made programmes designed for children, young people and adult learners.

Interested in our events for the Italian bilingual community in London?
Check out our upcoming events

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