Starting from the observation that in the early 2000s the thematization of immigration
in the public debate shifted from the issue of security and public order to
that of controlling Europe’s external borders, the article tries to understand why the
experience of borders seems to remain on the fringe of literary discourse. First, I argue
that “migrant literature”, as it was formalized in Italy in its novelistic forms in the early
1990s, has represented a factor that hinders the narration of the Border in all its spatial,
temporal, experiential and ideological depth. I then explain why other narrative
forms, such as investigative reports, or artistic forms, such as theater, have proven more
effective than testimonial novels. The article concludes with an analysis of two particularly
powerful plays, Supplici a Portopalo (2009) by Monica Centanni and Gabriele
Vacis, and Rumore di acque (2010) by Marco Martinelli.