Our mission is to extend the legacy of our namesake, publisher Giancarlo DiTrapano, by funding and hosting creative residencies, fostering communities of creativity through readings and other events, and maintaining an editorial archive at our 17th-century villa and cultural center in Sezze Romano, Italy.

“Gian was a liberator for many writers and saw publishing as a moral duty.”

Christian Lorentzen on Giancarlo DiTrapano for Vulture (New York magazine), 2021

Giancarlo DiTrapano (1974-2021) was the founder, editor, and publisher of Tyrant Books, which the Washington Post called “the forefront of progressive literature” in 2019. Tyrant published groundbreaking works such as the PEN-Award-Winning Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish (2015), The Sarah Book by Scott McClanahan (2015), What Purpose Did I Serve in Your Life by Marie Calloway (2013), and LIVEBLOG by Megan Boyle (2015).

By seeking out and giving voice to writers in the margins and on the rise, Gian’s life work was spent in service to those who create outside of the mainstream. The Foundation that bears his name exists to do the same.

Our story

The Foundation is headquartered at our villa and cultural center in Sezze Romano, Italy (halfway between Rome and Naples). Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean, the 16-acre property consists of olive and fig orchards, sprawling gardens, a fully renovated four-bedroom villa, a swimming pool, and a 3,000 square meter (32,000 square foot) “castelletto” (small castle). In 2021, the Foundation began hosting residencies and events in line with our mission. Residencies are fully funded, and residents are able to live and work on-site.

The Foundation also maintains a multimedia editorial archive of Giancarlo’s work with Tyrant Books and with New York Tyrant magazine, as well as Tyrant Books manuscripts in various stages of editing, Giancarlo’s personal library, personal notebooks, and literary correspondence.

Activities