Raccontete

Raccontete is a term used in contemporary Italian-language literary discourse to denote a form of micro-narrative comprising brief, self-contained tales gathered in a sequence or collection. The label signals a diminutive or lightweight form of storytelling, echoing the noun racconto (story) with a suffix resembling the French -ette, though the exact spelling of the term varies in usage.

The term is not a standardized category in major dictionaries or literary catalogs; it circulates mainly in informal discussions, blogs, and some experimental publications. In practice, raccontete refers to ultra-short narratives—often a few sentences to a paragraph each—unified by a common theme, image, or setting, and designed to be read in quick succession. Writers using the term emphasize concision, vivid concrete detail, and a potential for standalone impact within a larger sequence.

Applications and context: raccontete is often encountered in online platforms, experimental magazines, and self-published anthologies that foreground serialized or cycle-like structures. It is discussed alongside microfiction and flash fiction as part of a spectrum of ultra-short storytelling practices, without a rigid formal canon.

See also: microfiction, flash fiction, short story, vignette, short-story cycle.