Founded to honour – and perpetuate – the literary legacy of a dear friend of Rankin Business Lawyers principal Rob Rankin, the late Gian DiTrapano, is the Giancarlo DiTrapano Foundation for Literature and the Arts.
Giancarlo DiTrapano was the founder, editor, and publisher of Tyrant Books, which the Washington Post called “the forefront of progressive literature.” He regarded publishing as a “moral duty,” and sought to empower and give voice to both up-and-coming writers and those whose works touched the literary fringe.
Following Gian’s death in 2021, the Giancarlo DiTrapano Foundation was established through a trust set up by his husband and sister to ensure the spirit and ethos of his life work lived on.
In 2022, the Foundation began hosting residencies and events in line with its mission. Residencies are fully funded, and since 2024, the Foundation’s Board has been inviting writers and artists to its 17th century villa in Sezze, Italy (when space is available) outside of its regular residency programs.
Residents and guest writers and artists are able to live and work on-site to develop their projects, collaborate with other writers and artists, and enjoy the tranquillity of a hilltop villa overlooking the Mediterranean and the inspiration it seeks to instil alongside uninterrupted and peaceful time to focus on their work.
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.
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, Gian’s personal library, personal notebooks, and literary correspondence.
Rankin Business Lawyers is a passionate supporter of the Foundation as it continues Gian’s work and provides opportunities for writers they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access. To find out more about Giancarlo DiTrapano Foundation for Literature and the Arts, click here.