Luciana Castellina is one of Italy's most prominent left intellectuals and a cofounder of the newspaper Il Manifesto. In this coming-of-age memoir, based on her diaries, she recounts her political awakening as a teenage girl in Fascist Italy-where she used to play tennis with Mussolini's daughter-and the subsequent downfall of the regime. The book is about war, anti-Semitism, anti-fascism, resistance, hope in social justice, experiencing different contexts than one's own, traveling, political rallies, cinema, French intellectuals and FIAT workers, international diplomacy and friendship. All this is built on an intricate web made of reason and affection, of rational questioning and ironic self-narration as well as of profound nostalgia, disappointment and new discoveries.

Coming of age and political consciousness in turbulent times

About the Author
Luciana Castellina is a journalist and writer based in Rome. A member of the Italian Communist Party from 1947, she was expelled in 1969 as part of the dissident Il manifesto group. She has been a deputy both in the Italian Chamber of Deputies and a member of the European Parliament, where she was president of the Culture and Media Commission. She has published numerous books in Italian, including the highly acclaimed Siberiana (2012).

Reviews
"An anti-heroic account, a depiction of a sentimental education nourished by passion, curiosity and the levity of life, and with an eager sincerity always bursting forth." - La Repubblica "A most beautiful book built around the themes of a diary from the years 1943 - 47." - La Stampa "Luciana Castellina tells her story with levity and not a hint of narcissism, while making fun at the expense of Togliatti, Guttuso and Pajetta." - Corriere della Sera "As long as there are lives and testimonies like that of Luciana Castellina's La scoperta del mondo, we will not be in total darkness." - Ettore Scola



Book Information
ISBN 9781781682869
Author Luciana Castellina
Format Hardback
Page Count 160
Imprint Verso Books
Publisher Verso Books
Weight(grams) 388g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 146mm * 23mm