Italy Reads Program
There's more to JCU's Italy Reads Program than just one good book.
The history of Italy Reads
Italy Reads is a community-based English language reading and cultural exchange program that collaborates with 200 Italian high school teachers from over 60 high schools across Italy. Each year, one classic work of American literature is selected to read together.
Italy Reads began in 2009 as a National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read Rome" and the great success and demand for this program has now brought us to its 14th year as Italy Reads. The program benefits from the continued support from the United States Embassy to Italy, the English Theatre of Rome and John Cabot University.
Italy Reads 2025-2026: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
Raymond Carver (1938-1988) was and American poet and short-story writer. Born in Clatskanie, Oregon, Carver grew up in Yakima, Washington. Married and a father by the age of 20, Carver earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State College. It was while at Humboldt that he published his first short-story and poem. After attending the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he returned to the Northwest where he worked at a variety of jobs. Carver’s stories tell about the lower-middle-class lives with which he was familiar. The themes featured in his work What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981) include the nature of love, love and violence, and the failure of language.
Join Italy Reads 2025-2026
We welcome Italian high school teachers, JCU student volunteer mentors, Italian high school students and English language book club leaders to join in our read of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.
Teachers: Register here to receive details and include your students in this year's activities.
Professional Development
Teacher Training Workshops (online and in-person)
These workshops are aimed at providing the basis for teaching this book and an opportunity
for teachers to share ideas and network. Teachers (Italy Reads Scholars) who attended
the Professional Development Course develop and present Sample Lesson Plans prepared
in culmination of the Professional Development Course held each spring. Online workshops
are recorded and made available to teachers who register to participate in the program.
Teachers of all subjects are welcome!
Professional Development Course (online)
This course, an annual appointment with teachers, is offered free of charge each Spring
term in preparation for the subsequent academic year. Participants receive a Certificate
of Completion for 30 hours of Professional Development. Qualified applicants to attend
the course are teachers of English Language and Culture and their English-speaking
colleagues in a high school in Italy who plan to include their students in the Italy
Reads Program the following academic year. The outcome of this course is Sample Lessons
prepared by these teachers and material to support all teachers and will be posted
on Italy Reads Resources for Teachers.
Please note that participation in this course is not obligatory for participation in the Italy Reads program. All material is in English. Many teachers of English Language and Literature collaborate with their non English-speaking colleagues for greater interdisciplinary approaches to the study of American literature.
Italy Reads 2026-2027 Professional Development Course will take place online, January - May 2026. The book details of the course will be announced here in November. This course is in English, and free of charge. Teachers completing the course will receive a Certificate of Completion for 30 hours of Professional Development. High School Teachers in Italy of any subject are invited to join this course.
I.O. Giulio Cesare, Sabaudia
IIS Croce-Aleramo, Rome
IIS Leopoldo Pirelli, Rome
IIS Pacinotti-Archimede, Rome
IMS Vittorio Gassman, Rome
ISIS Enrico De Nicola, Naples
ISS Giordano Bruno, Rome
Istituto Paritario Gabriele D'Annunzio, Rome
Lice Classico e Linguistico Kant, Rome
Liceo Classico "E. Q. Visconti", Rome
Liceo Classico Aristofane, Rome
Liceo Classico Giulio Cesare, Rome
Liceo Classico Kennedy, Rome
Liceo Classico Montale, Rome
Liceo Classico Sperimentale Statale Bertrand Russell, Rome
Liceo Classico Virgilio, Rome
Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto, Rome
Liceo Ginnasio Statale Dante Alighieri, Rome
Liceo Scientifico "Ettore Majorana", Rome
Liceo Scientifico "Tullio Levi Civita", Rome
Liceo Scientifico A. Volta, Foggia
Liceo Scientifico e Classico F. Sbordone, Naples
Liceo Scientifico Morgagni, Rome
Liceo Scientifico Plinio Seniore, Rome
Liceo Scientifico Statale "Farnesina", Rome
Liceo Scientifico Statale I. Newton, Rome
Liceo Scientifico Statale Peano, Rome
Liceo Statale Maria Montessori, Rome
Liceo Statale Niccolò Machiavelli, Rome
Liceo Statale Vittoria Colonna, Rome
Erasmus da Rotterdam, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan
Gianelli Campus di Chiavari, Genoa
IIS Blaise Pascal, Pomezia
IIS Classico Artistico/Liceo Classico G.C. Tacito, Terni
IIS Einaudi-Mattei, Latina
IIS Giovanni Sulpicio, Veroli
IIS Margherita Hack, Morlupo and Rignano Flaminio
IIS Publio Elio Adriano,Tivoli
IIS V. Simoncelli, Sora
IIS Via Silvestri 301, Rome
IIS. M. Amari - P. Mercuri di Ciampino
IISS “Rinaldo d’Aquino”, Montella
IISS Ugo Foscolo, Canicattì, Agrigento
Istituto Istruzione Superiore "Evangelista Torricelli", Rome
Liceo Artistico A. V. Obici, Oderzo
Liceo Classico "Marco Foscarini", Venice
Liceo Classico "Pilo Albertelli", Rome
Liceo Classico Luciano Manara, Rome
Liceo Classico Torquato Tasso, Rome
Liceo Classico/Scienze Umane "Anco Marzio" Ostia
Liceo Ginnasio Statale Classico Benedetto da Norcia, Rome
Liceo Scientifico 'Carlo Pisacane ' Padula
Liceo Scientifico Cavour, Rome
Liceo Scientifico Gaetano Rummo, Benevento
Liceo Scientifico Galileo Galilei, Civitavecchia/Santa Marinella
Liceo Scientifico Statale "Giovanni Keplero", Rome
Liceo Scientifico Statale B. Touschek, Grottaferrata
Liceo Scientifico Statale Francesco D'Assisi, Rome
Liceo Scientifico Statale Sandro Pertini, Ladispoli
Liceo Seneca, Rome
Liceo Statale Mazzini, Napoli
Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento (PCTO) for Italian high school students
Activities with Italy Reads can be certified in accordance with ASL/PCTO (Dlg.No.107,13.07.2015). For details, contact [email protected].
JCU student volunteers
It's easy to become a JCU student volunteer mentor. Italy Reads brings JCU students together with Italian high school students to discuss the book and work together on videos to submit to the Italy Reads Student Video Contest. High school students have the opportunity to practice their English and JCU students get to know Italy a bit better. All benefit from international teamwork!
See the Calendar of Events for dates and times of events this year. Events require registration to attend.To register as an official Italy Reads participant, or to receive more information about Italy Reads, please e-mail us at [email protected]
Keynote Address - An academic expert is invited to speak about the work of literature and the author at this public event.
Master Class for High School Teachers and Book Group Leaders - The Keynote Speaker provides this opportunity exclusively for participating teachers and book group leaders.
Play Performances - Participating teachers and their students receive discounted tickets to The English Theatre of Rome's production for Italy Reads Theatre.
Student Video Contest - Students currently enrolled at a high school participating in Italy Reads can enter a video contest to compete for significant cash prizes. See Student Video Contest for details.
Student Interviews of Guest Speakers - Students work in teams to research, prepare, and interview guest speakers. They learn to write about the interview and present it at a final meeting.
Student Exchanges - JCU students are available to visit schools to lead discussions of the author and the work in a student exchange program. These meetings are scheduled to be held in class, at JCU, or online.
Teacher Training - Participating teachers can take part in workshops about the author, the work and the use of the teaching materials gathered by Italy Reads and produced by Italy Reads Scholars. These workshops are an opportunity to share ideas on interdisciplinary approaches.
Teaching Materials - In collaboration with JCU Frohring Library, Italy Reads provides teachers and students with access to a wealth of supplemental digital materials related to the author and the work. See Resources for details.
Books for Libraries - Participating libraries can receive a free copy of the Italy Reads book. A limited number are available.
