Vanessa Navicelli

I was born in the North of Italy, in a small village on the hills, not far from the river Po. I grew up with ‘Little House on the Prairie’, with the American movies of the 40s and the 50s (all sorts!), with Italian neorealist movies, with English 19th century novels and with Giovannino Guareschi’s novels, ‘The Little World of Don Camillo’ (which in the American movie version had Orson Welles as a voiceover narrator).
I attended a Scientific High School and then I started to study Literature and Philosophy at the University of Pavia (near Milan), where I still live today.

With my unpublished novel ‘The Bread under the Snow’ I was one of 21 finalists – from among 1,100 participants – of the ‘La Giara’ 2012 Literary Prize for Unpublished Novels, a scheme created by RAI, Italian State Television. I was in fact selected as the winner for the Emilia Romagna region.
In 2008 and in 2009 I participated, with some of my poems and nursery rhymes, in a touring poem exhibition, which was organized to spread the message of peace and to raise funds for Amnesty International, Emergency and for the Saharawi population.

I recharge my batteries under the spring sun and the winter snow. Other climatic conditions have a terrible effect on me (making me sleepy, irritable and bringing out the killer instinct in me).
I deeply love Christmas time (and have lights and decorations in my house all year round).
I have a dog whose name is Spank. He does not know how to bark. But, after all, neither do I.