In the wake of the success of the first edition, which gave us touching stories and precious testimonies, we are proud to announce the second edition of the “World in a Suitcase” contest. The initiative, organized by the “Giovan Pietro Vanni” Cultural Association in collaboration with Italea Piemonte and with the precious support of the Kiwanis Club of Domodossola, returns to collect and share the narratives that have shaped the history of Italian emigration.
The first edition saw an extraordinary participation, demonstrating how much the desire to tell and rediscover one’s roots is alive. We have awarded works of great sensitivity and received moving testimonies that have given life to a wonderful archive of memory.
Theme 2025/2026: Stories of mothers and daughters in Italian emigration
For this second edition, we have chosen a theme as profound as it is fascinating:
“Stories of mothers and daughters in Italian emigration”. We want to put the spotlight on female figures, often silent protagonists of difficult departures and courageous rebirths. Women, girls and mothers who with their strength have built new lives, keeping alive the link with their homeland and transmitting culture and traditions to the new generations.
We are looking for your stories: familiar (and not) tales, interviews, deeds, inventions or any other form of work that can shed light on this important page of our history.
How to participate in the contest
Participation is free and open to all, with two dedicated sections:
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Schools: Institutes and training institutions of all levels can participate, with group work or individual students.
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Individual Participants: The contest is open to anyone who wishes to share their story or that of their family members.
The works can be of any type: written stories, videos, image collages, audio interviews, podcasts or any other creative form.
The deadline for sending materials is Friday, March 27, 2026.
All entries must be emailed to:
direzione@italeapiemonte.com.
In the subject of the email it is necessary to specify:
PARTICIPATION IN THE “WORLD IN A SUITCASE” CONTEST. Be sure to include in the body of the email all the data required by the regulations (school references or author data).
Presentation event
We invite you to the official presentation of the contest that will be held:
Saturday 6 September at 10:00 am at Casa Vanni, Viganella (VB)
During the morning, after the institutional greetings, the following will speak:
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Ciurleo Luca: “Roots tourism in the VCO in 2024”
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Piana Samuel: “Italea Piemonte… Beyond the project”
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Caterina Agus: “Women in historical emigration”
It will be an important opportunity to deepen the themes of the contest and kick off this new adventure in memory.
The goal of “World in a Suitcase” is to tell the story of an era of great hopes and dramas, recognizing that today’s Italy is also the “daughter” of those dreams and those journeys. Join us on this journey of rediscovery. We look forward to your stories!
Relive the emotions of the first edition
Want to find inspiration? Read some of the articles dedicated to the previous edition of the contest and discover the stories that excited us:
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“World in a suitcase: small and large plots of emigration”: A summary of the stories and emotions that characterized the first edition.
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“Contest ‘World in a suitcase’: the work of the Valtoce Comprehensive Institute of Ornavasso”: Discover the project of the schools section, a perfect example of creativity and historical research.
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“‘World in a suitcase’ contest: the story of Erika Garimanno”: Be inspired by the testimony of a participant who shared her precious family history from Argentina.
