Teaching a Nation to Read: Alberto Manzi’s “Non è mai troppo tardi” TV show as a Tool for Education

In 1950, Italy, having emerged from World War II in defeat, began the process of reconstruction, with a focus on education. At the time, 13% of the population was illiterate, and 60% had not completed elementary school. In addition to the establishment of popular schools in 1947, a national television program aired on RAI, helping about one million Italians learn to read and write. The show, titled Non è mai troppo tardi (“It’s Never Too Late”), was hosted by Alberto Manzi, a young teacher who had transitioned from teaching in a Roman prison to the television studio. The program was a massive success, to the extent that Manzi was invited to replicate the experiment in Latin America, where he traveled annually to teach reading and writing to Andean populations. His name remains forever linked not only to this television program but also to his extensive contributions to children’s literature.

This Goggio Lecture, delivered by visiting professor Simone Di Biasio from Roma Tre University, explores Manzi’s lasting legacy on education in postwar Italy and beyond, shedding light on the transformative role of media in addressing illiteracy and fostering cultural growth.

Simone Di Biasio is a researcher in the Department of Education at Roma Tre University, where he teaches Comparative and Intercultural History of Education and History of Pedagogy. His work focuses particularly on children’s literature and the influence of new technologies on education. In addition to writing for academic journals, he also contributes to publications such as Doppiozero, Link, La Lettura del Corriere della Sera, and Rivista Studio. Di Biasio is the author of several books, including L'educazione è il messaggio. L'opera pedagogica di Marshall McLuhan (Unicopli, 2023; SIPED Award 2024 and Franciacorta Award 2024) and Letteratura dall'infanzia. Parole, immagini, educazione (Edizioni Sinestesie, 2022). He is also the editor of the Italian edition of McLuhan’s Education in the Electronic Age (Edizioni ETS, 2023). Di Biasio has published poetry books as well, including Panasonica (Il Ponte del Sale, 2020), which won the Rainer Maria Rilke Award in 2022.

To attend this lecture in person, please complete the online registration.

This lecture will be livestreamed on the Department's YouTube channel.

All times stated in Eastern time.