L'Ottava

L'Ottava was an Italian publishing house (casa editrice) founded in 1985 by the singer-songwriter Franco Battiato. The project was conceived in collaboration with Henri Thomasson, a pupil of Gurdjieff and founder in Italy of the school based on his teachings; the name L'Ottava refers to the Gurdjieffian 'law of octaves'. It was the first publishing house to issue Italian-language translations of the Greek-Armenian mystic G. I. Gurdjieff. Its catalogue also included books on Sufi philosophy and, more generally, on inner and spiritual knowledge. Over its life the house published fourteen books by various authors, distributed by Longanesi, and six records. Some of its titles were later reissued by Neri Pozza, while those not reissued are today almost impossible to find. Among its collaborators were several intellectuals, including Francesco Messina (co-founder of the publishing house), Enrico Maghenzani, Paolo Urizzi and Fabio Bagnasco. The publishing venture is now defunct.

L'Ottava was founded in 1985 by the Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato. The idea for the publishing house, as Battiato himself explained during a 1985 episode of the television programme Domenica In, grew out of his collaboration with Henri Thomasson, a pupil of the spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff and founder in Italy of the school based on his teaching. The name L'Ottava ('the octave') refers to the Gurdjieffian 'law of octaves'. The house was the first publisher to bring Gurdjieff's works to Italian readers in translation. Its catalogue extended to Sufi philosophy and, more broadly, to literature on inner and spiritual knowledge. In total L'Ottava published fourteen books by various authors, distributed by Longanesi, and six records. Among those involved were the intellectual and collaborator Francesco Messina, who co-founded the publishing house, along with Enrico Maghenzani, Paolo Urizzi and Fabio Bagnasco. After the house ceased activity, some of its titles were reissued by the publisher Neri Pozza, while the titles that were not reissued became almost impossible to find. The publishing venture is now defunct.

• 1985

  L'Ottava is founded by Franco Battiato, in collaboration with Henri Thomasson.

• 1985

  Battiato explains the publishing project on the television programme Domenica In.

A niche, spiritually oriented publishing house founded by a major Italian musician, focused on Gurdjieffian, Sufi and esoteric literature.

• Fourteen books by various authors, distributed by Longanesi

• Six records

• First Italian-language editions of G. I. Gurdjieff's works

• Books on Sufi philosophy and inner/spiritual knowledge

1. 1L'Ottava — Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2L'Ottava — Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official site (battiato.it)battiato.it