Parto – A Diary of Nine Months in Water / In Air

A book that literally asks you to flip your world upside down to see through another’s eyes. Parto is a poetic and photographic journey through the nine months of waiting, featuring a unique “double-face” structure. As the mother’s voice travels through the air and the baby’s through the water, their two paths converge at the very center of the book to celebrate the oldest word in the world: to be born.

Designed as a book that opens from two sides, Parto mirrors the reality of two lives seeking and holding onto one another. It is a dual-perspective narrative where a mother and her unborn child share their most intimate thoughts from two different worlds: air and water. The journey is divided into nine chapters, mirroring the months of pregnancy, with each stage titled after a common idiom that captures a specific emotional state.

Chiara Carminati’s poetic and direct prose acts as a “breath” for the story, while Massimiliano Tappari’s evocative photography provides the “heartbeat,” using natural fragments and light to create a visual counterpoint. These two distinct paths remain indissolubly linked throughout the book until they finally merge into a single, unified voice at the center: the moment of birth.

Key Selling Points:

– Unique Format: the flip back layout makes the reading experience a physical embodiment of parenthood and empathy.
– Universal Theme: a sophisticated, non-prescriptive look at pregnancy that focuses on the emotional and sensory bond before birth.
– Art-House Quality: high-quality graphic design and elegant production make it a premium gift book for new parents and art lovers.
– Award-Winning Duo: created by the renowned author Chiara Carminati and photographer Massimiliano Tappari.
– Educational Potential: an excellent starting point for workshops on birth, emotional intelligence, and visual storytelling.

Author & Photographer

Chiara Carminati (author)
She is the author of poetry, short stories, novels, songs, and theatrical works for children and young adults. Winner of the Andersen Award in 2012 as Best Author. In 2016 she received the Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi Prize for the novel Fuori fuoco. With Lapis, she has published, among others, A fior di pelle (2018) and Immagina un posto (2022).

Massimiliano Tappari (photographer)
Writer and photographer, he tells the hidden stories found in small things through his images. Winner of the Andersen Award in 2016 as a Protagonist of Culture. His Occhio ladro (Lapis, 2020) won the Andersen Award in 2021. For Lapis he has recently created Teresa together with Gek Tessaro, and Ogni volta che parti sempre in collaboration with Chiara Carminati.

Publication: April 2026