Pope made us feel that writers are useful says Igiaba Scego

Pope Leo XIV made an international

delegation of authors feel that writers are useful during an

audience Wednesday marking the 100th anniversary of the founding

of Vatican publisher Libreria Editrice Vataicnaa (LEV),

Italo-Somali novelist Igiaba Scego told ANSA after their

encounter with the American pontiff.

"Pope Leo made us feel that writers are very useful. Fiction is

often marginalized, and yet, precisely because we live in a

world of artificial intelligence and unbridled capitalism,

understanding that storytelling is the center of life was

important. The Pope's words were truly beautiful and

encouraging," said Scego, who was born in Rome to a Somali

family in 1974.

She was received by the Holy Father, along with a delegation of

writers from around the world, including Elizabeth Strout,

Susanna Tamaro, Marilynne Robinson, Jonathan Safran Foer, Enrico

Brizzi, Sorj Chalandon, Maria Grazia Calandrone, Colum McCann,

Daniele Mencarelli, Mircea Cărtărescu, and Eraldo Affinati, for

the 100th anniversary of LEV's founding.

It was not Igiaba Scego's first visit to the Vatican.

"The first time I met with Pope Francis, today with Pope Leo.

These are enriching experiences. I believe deeply in

interreligious dialogue. I'm a Muslim woman, but I'm Roman, so

in a certain sense, part of the Church's culture has always been

with me. Rome is a city where Catholic ritual is very present. I

must say I identify with the faith of others because each of us

is different, but each of us is equal," she explains.

Did you find continuity between Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV?

"On some topics, yes, certainly on the theme of peace. I think

each pontificate has its own character and experiences different

situations. Today, we have a geopolitical landscape gone mad,

with more and more hate speech. I think every pontiff, but this

also applies to heads of state, must face new challenges, and

the technological one is right before us.

"Pope Leo is one of the few leaders who speaks about this, not

so much to demonize science, but to humanize it."

What moved you about this meeting with the Pope?

"I had heard Pope Leo speak in Spanish, in Italian, but never in

English, his native language, and it was very interesting. He

touched on many topics; peace is always in his speeches. What

strikes me about this Pontiff is that he has a vision of the

world of peace and understanding of our mutual humanity," says

Scego, author of books that consistently address the themes of

colonialism and racism, such as 'My Home Is Where I Am'

(Rizzoli), 'Cassandra in Mogadishu' (Bompiani), nominated for

the 2023 Strega Prize, and her latest release, 'Figli della

foresta' (Becco Giallo), her first graphic novel, with Chiara

Abastanotti.

"Writing," the Holy Father recalled, "is the foundation of the

humanity within us. Starting from the human being, at a time

when we are experiencing terrible wars and passively accepting

AI, without truly managing it, is crucial. If we don't do

something, everything will be very dehumanizing. The Pope's

speech brings us back to humanity, to our flesh."

In the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica, Scego speaks of the

need to "rebuild relationships among us, in our own small way.

"We must start with our neighbors, our neighbors; we must get to

know each other. Beginning with close relationships is a path to

peace. What we need is a little more compassion and the ability

to put ourselves in the other's shoes. "Unfortunately, this is

not the view of some elites who rule the world, and we are

seeing a massive use of weapons, drones, and hate speech that

worries me greatly.

"Hateful words are turning into extreme violence. This is why

the Pope's speech, as he is one of the few world leaders to

speak of peace—indeed, almost the only one—is crucial.

"His voice is heard; it is a compass. I think all men of

religion—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism—should speak of

peace because they are the only ones left to do so in a world

that is rearming.

"Climate change is the real war we should be fighting, and we

are not."

Another key issue is that of migration flows, she says.

"Remigration is a toxic word. Perhaps our issue is travel rather

than migration. We have a regime of strong and weak passports.

European laws have actually become more stringent, and the right

to asylum is absolutely in danger.

"We are creating something truly problematic and in violation of

human rights at a time when Africa and Asia are becoming the

continents of the future. Europe is increasingly closed off, but

it offers no solutions."

Strout, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of 'Olive Kitteridge',

told ANSA that she write to break isolation, as Leo said.

"I think he is a wonderful man and a wonderful Pope. It was a

pleasure to meet him today. He spoke about how important it is

for readers to be able to read the works of writers because in

this way they can identify with so many different lives, they

can understand what it means to be so many different people, and

I completely agree. It's one of the reasons I write, to help

break this isolation that naturally exists between all of us.

"The Pope didn't talk about world peace, but I know he's doing

his best to help achieve world peace, and that's wonderful,"

said the beloved author of other books such as 'Adrift,' 'The

Burgess Boys,' and 'Lucy by the Sea,.

"I have a book coming out in Italy in October: 'The Things We

Never Say.' It's already been published in America, England, and

Ireland (where it topped the bestseller lists). It's about a

high school history teacher. He's a lovely man. It talks about

his role in contemporary history and how the actions of the

United States government end up affecting him and his son. But

it's also about me," the writer says.

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