At the EFI Mediterranean Facility (EFIMED), we invited our MedForest community to share their book recommendations for April, a month that includes 23 April, when World Book Day is celebrated worldwide and Sant Jordi is marked in Barcelona as the Day of Books and Roses.
With our office based in Barcelona and April being a particularly special time for book lovers in the city, we wanted to extend this tradition to the MedForest community by inviting our network to recommend books inspired by the Mediterranean and forest landscapes.
What follows is the diverse and inspiring reading list shared by our network. We hope you enjoy discovering these stories!
Mediterranean landscapes in literature
Narratives shaped by the sea, islands, and Mediterranean cultures
Across centuries and genres, the Mediterranean has inspired stories of identity, memory, movement, and desire. In these works, the sea and its surrounding landscapes are not just backdrops, but emotional and cultural forces.
Call Me by Your Name – André Aciman
Novel / Romance | Northern Italy
An intimate coming‑of‑age love story, steeped in the heat and sensuality of a Mediterranean summer.
Zorba the Greek – Nikos Kazantzakis
Classic novel | Crete, Greece
A joyful celebration of vitality, freedom, and a distinctly Mediterranean philosophy of life.
My Brilliant Friend – Elena Ferrante
Contemporary fiction | Naples, Italy
A powerful exploration of friendship, gender, and social change in a southern Mediterranean city.
The Rock of Tanios – Amin Maalouf
Historical fiction | Lebanon
A novel of identity, politics, and community life in the Eastern Mediterranean during the 19th century.
The Odyssey – Homer
Epic poetry | Mediterranean basin
The foundational Mediterranean journey, weaving myth, seascapes, and human resilience.
The Wine‑Dark Sea – Leonardo Sciascia
Short stories | Sicily
The Mediterranean Sea itself becomes a protagonist, shaping destinies, and moral dilemmas.
Reeds in the Wind – Grazia Deledda
Classic novel | Interior of Sardinia
A vivid portrait of rural Mediterranean life and its social codes.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World – Elif Shafak
Contemporary fiction | Istanbul
A moving story of memory, marginality, and belonging in a Mediterranean metropolis.
Circe – Madeline Miller
Mythological retelling | Mediterranean myth‑world
A feminist re‑imagining of ancient Mediterranean myths from the perspective of a silenced woman.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer – Patrick Süskind
Historical fiction | Southern Europe
A dark exploration of sensory landscapes, urban life, and Mediterranean trade routes.
Forests as living characters
Wild spaces, imagination, and human–nature relationships
In these works, forests are more than scenery: they act as narrative agents, shaping lives, memories, and resistance.
Et vaig donar ulls i vas mirar les tenebres (I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness) – Irene Solà
Literary fiction / Magical realism | Forested Catalonia
A multigenerational story where forests host folklore, danger, and memory.
When I Sing, Mountains Dance – Irene Solà
Literary fiction | Forested Catalonia
A poetic, polyphonic novel in which forests, mountains, humans, animals, and natural forces share a voice, capturing the deep interconnectedness of life and landscape.
El río que nos lleva – José Luis Sampedro
Classic Spanish novel | Iberian rural landscapes
A tribute to rivers, forests, and traditional livelihoods bound to nature.
De mémoire d’arbre – Thierry Gauquelin
Literary science narrative | Moroccan Atlas Mountains
Told in the first person by a five‑hundred‑year‑old Phoenician juniper, this novel weaves forest science and storytelling to give voice to a tree witnessing centuries of human history and climate change. Discover more in our blog post.
Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy – Jeff VanderMeer
Speculative fiction | Reclaimed wilderness
Nature as an uncontrollable force that reclaims and transforms human systems.
The Vegetarian – Han Kang
Literary fiction | Symbolic forest imagery
The forest emerges as a metaphor for transformation, refusal, and resistance.
Forests, trees & science
Non‑fiction and environmental storytelling
This short but essential selection speaks directly to MedForest’s mission, bridging science, society, and forest ecosystems.
La resilienza del bosco – Giorgio Vacchiano
Non‑fiction | Forest science
An Italian forest scientist shares stories of forest resilience in the face of climate change.
Cork Wars – David A. Taylor
Environmental non‑fiction
An exploration of Mediterranean cork oak landscapes and the socio‑ecological conflicts surrounding them.
Ideas to Postpone the End of the World – Ailton Krenak
Non‑fiction | Indigenous perspectives and environmental philosophy
A powerful reflection rooted in Indigenous forest knowledge that challenges dominant narratives of the Anthropocene and invites a renewed relationship with the Earth.
For young readers: discovering forests
Books that nurture curiosity and environmental awareness
A special selection for younger audiences – and for adults sharing stories with them.
A Year Around the Great Oak – Gerda Muller
Illustrated book
A gentle, seasonal journey through an oak tree’s ecosystem.
Tidy – Emily Gravett
Picture book
A playful reminder that “messy” forests are often the healthiest.
The Lorax – Dr. Seuss
A classic environmental fable
A timeless call to protect trees and respect natural limits.
