ALBA INTERNATIONAL WHITE TRUFFLE FAIR I TALY From early October to mid-November every year, the pretty town of Alba, nestled in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, about an hour by car from Turin, hosts the annual Alba International White Truffle Fair to coincide with the late autumn harvest period of Tartufo bianco di Alba, which are characterised by their irregular shape, due to the unevenness of the soil in which they grow. Known
VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL THAILAND While the origins of this festival are a little fuzzy, the most agreed-upon version of events, is that a wandering Chinese opera company fell ill en mass with Malaria while performing in Phuket. In an attempt to beat the disease, the group adopted a strict vegetarian diet and prayed intensely to the nine emperor gods for purification of their bodies and minds to be cured. Surprisingly, the group made a miraculous and complete recovery, and they celebrated by originating a festival to
as the town of a hundred medieval towers, Alba’s old centre is beautifully honour the gods. Thus, Phuket’s annual Vegetarian Festival was born. Attended by thousands, the festival features a number of rituals, including participants performing ritualised mutilation upon themselves and one another, without anaesthetic but while under a trance-like state, including piercing their mouths, cheeks, ears and arms with fish-hooks, knives, razor blades and bamboo poles in dramatic fashion. Countless offerings of food and drink are also made to the gods in temples throughout the city. 8–17 October 2018 www.phuket.com
FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR GERMANY Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018 and with more than 285,000 visitors attending last year, the Frankfurt Book Fair has firmly established itself as one of the most important events in the global literary calendar. Thousands of publishers, authors, retailers, illustrators, librarians, self-publishers and multimedia suppliers from around the globe converge annually on the 16 The Cultured Traveller Sep-Nov 2018
preserved and strolling its streets and piazzas, with a gelato in hand, is one of life’s great pleasures. As the truffle fair approaches, international chefs, gastronomy buffs, oenophiles and travelling foodies all descend upon Alba to sample the decadent, aromatic and wildly exclusive white prizes. During the fair, the little unattractive mushrooms - sniffed out by trained dogs and pigs - are cleaned, meticulously preserved and shaved sparingly over pasta, risotto, grilled vegetables and just about everything else. 6 October – 25 November 2018 www.fieradeltartufo.org
German powerhouse city to exchange information, launch books and negotiate the sale of international publishing rights. This year the fair welcomes
Georgia as its guest country of honour, with a view to discovering the diverse culture and literature of a country located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Meanwhile THE ARTS+ business festival, aimed at the cultural and creative sectors, runs side-by-side with the book fair and offers top-notch speakers, technology innovations, best practice cases, creative presentations and networking events, plus a salon for exclusive talks and a lab for interactive performances (www.theartsplus.com). 10–14 October 2018 www.buchmesse.de