In July 1972 the first edition of the Eurocon was organized in Trieste, the most important European convention dedicated to science fiction literature at the time, where the best works of the genre were presented and awarded. Always the nerve centre of national and international science fiction, Trieste hosted some of the most important authors of the moment such as John Brunner, Kurt Steiner, Brian Aldiss, the illustrator Karel Thole and many others.

The 1972 convention went down in history also as the first Italian convention dedicated to Science Fiction: that year, in Trieste, the Italcon was born.

In 2024, for its 50th edition, Italcon returns “home” and the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival offers for the occasion a rich program of panels and books presentations that will represent an unmissable opportunity for fans and professionals of the science fiction sector to meet, assess the last year, carry out moments of study of science fiction literature and cinema, and compare experiences.

The agenda set up by the Festival together with the FantaTrieste writers collective tries to represent, in the full spirit of the event, science fiction literature through the most heterogeneous angles and gazes possible, contaminating the genre with multidisciplinary incursions between cinema, music, science and comics.

The literary events of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival 2024 will be inaugurated by a day entirely dedicated to Trieste’s science fiction, to reflect once again on the indissoluble bond between this genre and the city. After that, three full days of events will put some of the most important names of the national and international scene in dialogue with each other to talk about sci-fi and fantasy literature between past, present and future. Among the most awaited moments, the ceremony for the awarding of the Premio Italia, the awards dedicated to the best Italian works of science fiction and fantasy of the previous year.

But the literary novelties of the festival do not end there, as 2024 is also the year of the first edition of the Mondofuturo Literary Award and the Infiniti Futuri contest. The former, promoted by Area Science Park and La Cappella Underground, stems from the collaboration between the world of science and technological innovation and that of audiovisual productions, with the aim of exploring new ways to foster cultural growth and interest in science and literature, using science fiction as a vehicle to catalyse attention. The latter is a literary contest aimed at students from second grade Trieste secondary schools, to imagine the future through the gaze of those who will then have to live it.

The rich calendar of the events can be consulted at this link.

[Based on a press release.]