Andrea Iacomini, author, journalist and spokesperson for UNICEF Italia, will present La forza sia con te (People).

The event will be introduced by Olivia Castellino, President of the UNICEF Committee of Florence and Province.

Joining the discussion on stage will be Oxana Polataitchouk, delegate of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine, cartoonist BIGO, and photojournalist Niccolò Celesti.

The event will be moderated by Sabrina Guzzoletti, journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Seeds of Florence.

The book:

At a time when war has become, for many, an unavoidable evil, La forza sia con te tells the stark reality of the conflict in Ukraine through the eyes of a traveler: Andrea Iacomini, journalist and spokesperson for UNICEF Italia. It is a deeply human journey shaped by encounters, fears and silences, where the tragically ironic title — the phrase spoken by an air-raid alert app after every narrowly avoided danger — becomes a powerful symbol.

The author travels through a wounded yet vibrant country, where everyday life intertwines with the sound of explosions and where every place holds a seed of resistance: a nocturnal melody played on the piano, an invisible suitcase, a bouquet of flowers offered so as not to forget beauty. But it is in the gestures of children — children who dream simply of being able to sleep, instead of sleeping in order to dream — that strength continues to endure, giving the title phrase an even deeper meaning. Because even in the midst of conflict, true strength lies in the dignity of those who resist.

The author:

Andrea Iacomini was born in Rome in 1974 and has been National Spokesperson for UNICEF Italia since 2012. A graduate in Political Science from the University of Tor Vergata, he has worked with UNICEF since 2008, documenting emergencies in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine.

A contributor to the HuffPost Italia and author of essays such as Buona Strada (2007) and Il Giorno Dopo (2016), he has also brought to the stage monologues inspired by his humanitarian missions, receiving the “Ignazio Silone” Prize in 2019.

After creating the campaign Tutti giù per terra, since 2019 he has traveled to more than 1,000 cities across Italy to raise awareness among young people about children’s rights. At the end of 2025, he published La forza sia con te with People. The book is already in its third reprint.

Andrea Iacomini is currently touring across Italy presenting the book, and all author royalties are entirely donated to UNICEF projects supporting children affected by the conflict in Ukraine.