Igiaba Scego was born in 1974 in Rome. Her parents left Somalia and came to Italy after Siad Barre’s military junta took over. In 1980s Rome it was not uncommon for the family to experience discrimination. Scego’s father had been a well known politician in Somalia and had held posts
Helena Janeczek was born in Munich to Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivors in 1964. After graduating from high school, she went to Italy in 1983 to study and eventually took on Italian citizenship. She initially worked as a lecturer at the Adelphi publishing house, where she translated many texts into Italian, including
Giovanni Bachelet was born in Rome, Italy in 1955. He lectures in physics at La Sapienza University in Rome. He has previously worked in the USA and in Germany. Bachelet was the cofounder of “Libertà e Giustizia” (Liberty and Justice), Italy’s most prominent protest movement against the Berlusconi government. In
Giovanni Montanaro was born in Venice in 1983. He studied law and has worked as an author and editor for magazines, local newspapers and websites. His first novel, »La croce Honninfjord« (2007; t: The cross of Honninfjord), which brings together elements from thrillers, historical novels and love stories, was shortlisted
Gianni Celati was born in Sondrino, Italy, in 1937. He earned a PhD from Bologna University with a dissertation on James Joyce. In 1966, one of his short stories attracted the attention of Italo Calvino, who was chief editor of the Einaudi publishing house, which in 1971 published Celati’s first
Born in Piacenza on 3 August 1982, Gabriele Dadati graduated from the University of Pavia with a degree in Modern Literature. His book of short stories »Sorvegliato dai fantasmi« (peQuod, 2006; new edition published by Barbera Editore in 2008) won the Dante Graziosi prize and was one of the finalists
born in Rome in 1969, studied Philosophy and Journalism in Rome and Wuppertal. She went on to work as a journalist for »La Stampa« in Turin. She was the newspaper’s foreign correspondent in Berlin, and later in Moscow, from 2001 to 2005. In the meantime she had travelled in Poland,
Francesca Melandri was born in Rome in 1964. She worked as a screenwriter, contributing to the Adalbert Stifter adaptation »Bergkristall«, the fairy tale epic »Fantaghirò« based on Italo Calvino, and the popular TV series »Don Matteo« featuring Terrence Hill in the titular role. She also directed the documentary »Vera« (2010),
Francesca Sanna was born in 1991 in Sardinia. She studied illustration and design in Cagliari and earned her master’s degree in illustration from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In the summer of 2014 she completed further studies in illustration and visual storytelling at the School of Visual
Francesca Scotti was born in 1981 in Milan, where she took a Law degree. She also graduated from music conservatory and plays the cello. She is interested in Eastern culture and is currently living in Japan. In 2011, her collection of short stories »Qualcosa di simile« (tr: Something Similar) was
Flavio Soriga was born in Uta, a little village near Cagliari on the island of Sardinia in 1975. He studied Journalism and Media Technology in Rome and Madrid, and subsequently worked for regional TV stations, where he was in charge of programme selection. For his debut novel »Diavoli di Nuraiò«
born in 1965 in Ferrara, is a professor of criminology at the University of Oxford and an expert in international organized crime. His book »The Russian Mafia« (2001) is considered required reading and won the 2002 Ed A. Hewett Book Prize. In »Mafia Life« (2017), he describes the habits, motivations,
