One of the most well-known and influential names in Italian entrepreneurship and a book that questions each of us: Oscar Farinetti , founder of Unieuro and Eataly, will be a guest at Caffè Dante Bistrot (Piazza dei Signori 2, Verona) on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 5:30 pm , to present his new essay, Homer Must Not Die (Solferino): an investigation into the anthropological crisis of language and values, co-written with anthropologist Piercarlo Grimaldi . The author will be in conversation with journalist, writer, and Commander of Merit of the Republic Maurizio Pedrini .
This event is part of the Incontri d'Autore series, through which Caffè Dante offers events open to the city, connecting culture and people. Cultural encounters have historically been an integral part of the identity of this convivial venue in the heart of Verona. Hosting Oscar Farinetti, the entrepreneur who, with Eataly, brought the culture of quality Italian food to the world, is a prestigious occasion for Caffè Dante and an unmissable event for Verona.
"Welcoming Oscar Farinetti is a great thrill for us," say Chiara Castagnini and Sabrina Bergamasco , owners of Caffè Dante Bistrot. " He is a leading figure in Italian entrepreneurship, capable of explaining with simplicity how to build a project and how we can still look to the future with confidence, even in a challenging time for business and society. His new book reminds us how important words and dialogue still are in our daily lives. We are certain it will be an unforgettable afternoon, and we invite the public to share it with us."
The book: Homer must not die
"The word, when it is filled with flesh and gesture, becomes both a political and poetic act. And in this act, man becomes human again." – Oscar Farinetti
In the age of manipulated, scattered, and empty words, can storytelling and the explanation of the world still save us? This is the question that inspired Homer Must Not Die , the investigation that Oscar Farinetti and Piercarlo Grimaldi dedicate to the crisis of contemporary language and the values that inhabit it, today increasingly threatened by superficiality, inequality, and a loss of meaning.
Ours is a very fragile time, marked by profound fractures: we have lost our balance and are besieged by fear and confusion. Words, rather than helping us, bombard us from the media and social media, which are increasingly irrelevant to the gravity of the "real" issues.
In this age of communication hijacked by the digital oligarchies of artificial intelligence, has language become a problem ? On the contrary: it is an essential part of the solution. What we need is a modern-day Homer, capable of convincing us that the time has come to change habits and emerge from a chaotic and hypocritical slumber. The figure of the blind poet and the classical tradition thus become a compass for modern society.
Through stories and memories that intertwine the Langhe and the global world, peasant tradition and the digital revolution, the authors sign a book that is a true call to action, because saving the word means saving the human .
Enough with aphasia in the face of injustice, enough with dialogue transformed into brawl, enough with the devaluation of the word: these pages outline a concrete program to recover the sense of community and the ability to weave narratives that unite rather than divide , that build rather than destroy.
The authors
Oscar Farinetti (Natale Oscar Farinetti) was born on September 24, 1954, in the midst of the grape harvest, in Alba, the capital of the Langhe region. He lives on the top of a hill, among the vineyards. He founded Unieuro and then Eataly, large retail outlets dedicated to high-quality Italian food in seventeen countries around the world. In 2020, he launched Green Pea, a department store entirely dedicated to high-quality, designer non-food products.
He owns several farms where he grows and processes organic produce. Since 2007, he has invested in wine, which is now his main business: eleven organic wineries in six Italian regions, whose wines are exported to ninety-two countries.
He has received two honorary degrees, has written several best-selling books, including 10 Moves to Face the Future (Solferino, 2024), and lectures around the world, explaining in a simple yet evocative way how to create a project, with an innovative vision based on rules and feelings, poetry and mathematics. He donates all proceeds from his lectures to two non-profit foundations: the Mirafiore Foundation, which promotes literature, and Earth (Eataly Art House), which promotes art.
Piercarlo Grimaldi was Rector of the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. He taught Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology, and History of Popular Traditions at the University of Turin and Eastern Piedmont. He has written numerous books. His dream is to return to being a country tailor, tailoring clothes as he has woven words.
The Speaker
Maurizio Pedrini , journalist, writer, and poet, as well as a Commander of Merit of the Republic, was the founder and editor of national and local newspapers, such as "La Nostra Città Informa," "GSA. Il Giornale dei Sevizi Ambientali," "Dimensione Pulito," "L'Altro Giornale," and "Valdadige Terradeiforti Informa." Pedrini is a member of prestigious national academies, such as the International Templar Academy Foundation, the World Academy of Poetry, the Tiberina Academy, and the Leonina Academy. He has also won important literary awards, including the international "Alda Merini" and "Marco Polo" prizes awarded by the Nuova Accademia dei Bronzi.
Event information
Oscar Farinetti presents Homer Must Not Die (Solferino)
Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Caffè Dante Bistrot , in Piazza dei Signori 2 in Verona
Free admission with reservations until seats are filled
Info and reservations: T. 0 45 800 0083
At the end of the event, a book signing in collaboration with the Jolly del Libro bookshop
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