bi[e]laterale is a writing residency in Italian taking place in Biel/Bienne from 3 to 7 November 2026.
For one week, four Italian-speaking authors – two from Switzerland and two from Italy – work together on their writing projects in dialogue with students from the Swiss Literary Institute (ILS).
The residency aims to promote Italian as a language of literary creation in contemporary Switzerland and to encourage encounters between different linguistic traditions. Biel/Bienne, a bilingual French- and German-speaking city with a strong Italian-speaking community, offers an ideal context for this exchange.
the city as a space for writing
During the residency participants will stay in the city free of charge. Biel/Bienne thus becomes an integral part of the creative process: participants explore the city and its linguistic history, with particular attention to the Italian-speaking community, which has contributed to the cultural life of the region for decades. The dialogue between language, urban space and cultural memory is one of the central elements of the residency experience.
the workshop
At the heart of the residency is a writing workshop coordinated by the author and teacher Alessandro De Francesco. Over four days participants work on their projects through collective sessions, discussions and individual revisions.
The workshop places the Italian language at its centre, using it as a starting point for dialogue with the other languages present at the Swiss Literary Institute. During the workshop, authors are encouraged to experiment with poetic, narrative and hybrid forms while exploring collaborative and multilingual writing practices.
the public reading
The residency concludes with a public reading organised in collaboration with cultural institutions in the city. During the event, the authors present the texts developed during the workshop alongside contributions by guest writers. The evening represents a moment of sharing with the community and an opportunity for encounters between languages, generations and different audiences.
the publication
Texts developed during the residency will be gathered in a collective plaquette published by the independent publisher Il Verziere. The publication documents the work carried out during the workshop and contributes to promoting Italian as a language of literary creation in Switzerland.