What are you reading right now?

Il Giorno della Civetta (The Day of the Owl) by Leonardo Sciascia.

Tell us a bit about it:

A novel about the mafia inspired by true facts in the 60s in Sicily.

What is your favourite book of all time?

The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende.

Tell us a bit about it:

The history of a family parallel to the history of Chile with some "magical realism".

What book do you remember most from your childhood and why?

Favole al Telefono by Gianni Rodar.

Tell us a bit about it:

A collection of fables told by a dad to his daughter every night over the phone, often with a moral or an ironic look on reality.

Which of your books is battered from using over and over again?

Avoca Salads.

Tell us a bit about it:

A very useful cookbook very different and good salads.

What is your favourite book by an international author?

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

Tell us a bit about it:

The interesting duality between the physical beauty and our soul ("our inner beauty").

What book do you feel depicts your own or another culture most vividly?

The Dark Heart of Italy by Tobias Jones.

Tell us a bit about it:

Interesting point of view on my country from an English journalist who lived in Italy for a few years.

Books that changed your perspective, was there a book that changed your mind about something? How?

1984 by George Orwell.

Tell us a bit about it:

Written so many years ago it's really so close to our "big brother" actual reality always controlled by media.