People are always asking me for Italian book recommendations and after I recently posted my favourite movies I knew I will have to also write a list of book recommendations. I've tried to avoid huge commercial successes and clichè building monsters as I want to give everyone something different and challenging to read. So excuse…
Continue reading ➞ 10 of my favourite Italian-themed books
What is Sicily to me? There are hundreds of Sicilies. An island of hundred faces. like the tale of Medusa who becomes more elaborate at every retelling. Singing like Rosa Balistreri with an emotional strength pouring out the tears in an overflowing stream. A song of Sicily’s poverty, her beauty, with her insatiable energy, the…
Continue reading ➞ My Sicily: a poem
I’m always on the lookout for strong female role models in the world of literature as a form of inspiration to myself. My e-reader is filled with books by authors like Carrie Fisher, Eleanor Catton, Patti Smith, Virginia Woolf, Hilary Mantel, Harper Lee, Zadie Smith and many more English language women writers. Since I read…
Continue reading ➞ Grazia Deledda: a literary hero
In the mirror there I can’t see myself. I see my grandmother’ eyes looking back at me and remember how I made them cry. She is the strongest person I know and in one mad moment, thinking of myself I made her weep. I was distracted worrying about overweight baggage and departure times I forgot…
Continue reading ➞ My Grandmother’s eyes
Sicily is a perfect place for lovers of historical novels, it is such an evocative place, bursting with the energy of a palpable history which seeps into everything on the island. In fact, Sicily has inspired many English authors to write beautiful fiction. The Sicilian migrant diaspora is also one of the most creative spawning…
Continue reading ➞ The inspiration of Sicily
I thought I'd recommend a few books and movies with a bit of an Italian theme. But as is usual in Italy, I've gone and overindulged with the entertainment. Quindi sono guai! So now you are in for it! Get ready for a mega list of movies and great reads from a lifetime lover of…
Continue reading ➞ A list of Italian themed movies and books for all seasons
I discovered the work of John Keahey by accident a few years ago when his first book about Sicily (Seeking Sicily: a cultural journey through myth and reality in the heart of the Mediterranean) randomly popped up on my Amazon search for books on my usual trawl through the internet for inspiration. After a…
Continue reading ➞ Sicilian Splendors: discovering the secret places that speak to the heart
I'm gradually adding to my Reading Trincaria reading list and so I will be posting a regular quick Sicilian themed book review during the week to gradually extend our Sicily related reads. This week I'd like to share one of the first books I ever read about this magical island, a true classic which helped…
Continue reading ➞ Short and sweet classical history
John Julius Norwich: The Normans in the South 1016-1130 The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194. Sicily: A short history from the Greeks to Cosa Nostra. Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History The Middle Sea: A history of the Mediterranean John Julius Norwich’s series dedicated to the Normans of Sicily is the ultimate Sicilian…
Continue reading ➞ The Ultimate Sicilian History Lover
My grandparent's gardens are gone like so many poetic laments about lost paradises nothing of their cultivated land where father, son, mother and daughter lived the flowering trees are a memory recalled by a dying generation no more sustenance or song only the shadows of a once fertile island Ancient olive groves gradually enveloped by…
Continue reading ➞ Poetry inspired by Sicily: A place of elephants, lions and bears
Sicily’s rich history, culture and literature are filled with endless stories, and so one writer or interpreter visiting here will never come up with a definitive interpretation, each experience will remain unique. Sicily has many faces and reflections, depending on where and when you visit and who you meet, it is impossible ever to finish…
Continue reading ➞ Seeking Sicily an interview with John Keahey
Andrew and Suzanne Edwards are both accomplished writers and translators with a deep admiration for Sicily, their guide to the island is a detailed love letter to the history and culture of this place. Together they trace an outline of Sicily through its rich literary history creating an intriguing portrait of this ancient place.…
Continue reading ➞ Sicily: A Literary guide for travellers
Jeremy Dummett is a lover of history, a dedicated Italophile and a frequent visitor to Sicily. It was while on a trip to Syracuse in 2005 that the seeds of an idea were planted. Dummett became interested in the history of ancient Siracusa, he discovered an immense amount of literature referring to this city and…
Continue reading ➞ Syracuse: City of legends an interview with Jeremy Dummett
One of the most surprising discoveries on my journey to know and understand Sicily better has been Anthony Di Renzo’s book Trinàcria (Guernica, Toronto 2013) which eloquently evokes the spirit of Sicily. Di Renzo gathers threads from Bourbon Sicily through the periods most vibrant characters and to bring their energy back to life. With the…
Continue reading ➞ Trinàcria: A tale of Bourbon Sicily an interview with Anthony Di Renzo
One of the most surprising finds in my journey into Sicily was the discovery of the works of American journalist Theresa Maggio. Her concise poetic prose distils the true essence of Sicily in an almost intoxicating style. Maggio's intimate memoirs are delicate little stories which distil the essence of the character of the island. From…
Continue reading ➞ The poetry of Theresa Maggio
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