illystories
Short stories to enhance the espresso occasion
After the expression of art through the illy collection, a new idea—illystories—was launched to further enhance the coffee-drinking experience. illystories is a series of small books distributed free of charge in Italian coffee bars serving illy, with stories short enough to finish in the time it takes to enjoy an espresso. The stories bring a new dimension to the espresso experience by taking the reader on a brief journey, carried away by the writer’s imagination.
It all started, as often happens with illycaffè’s art projects, with a lucky encounter, this time with Scritture Giovani at the Festivaletteratura in Mantua in 2003. illycaffè immediately gave its support to a concept to give young European writers the chance to express themselves through their short stories.
In 2005, the fall edition dedicated to young writers was joined by the launch of a spring edition, where established writers write on a topic related to the illy world: travel, the café as meeting place, art and expression. As with illywords, students at international schools of art are commissioned to illustrate the covers of the illystories.