by Paola Bonifazio and Francesca Giombini
Also known as fotoromanzi (in Italian), roman-photos (in French), and fotonovelas (in Spanish), “photoromances” are illustrated stories composed of photographs and written texts (captions and balloons) and published serially in magazines. Born in Italy in 1947 and then exported all over the world, selling millions of copies per week,photoromances are demeaned and chastised in public opinion, and rarely studied by scholars, as derivative forms of women’s literature. This interview with photoromance-maker Francesca Giombini aims at contributing to a new trend of scholarship and public debate that consider the artistic potential of the medium and its relevance in the history of Italian culture.