He was born in Naples in 1950. At the age of eighteen he took part in the 1968 movement, later joining the Lotta Continua group. He has worked as a building labourer and a lorry driver, and during the Balkan war he drove humanitarian aid vehicles. He is a keen mountaineer. The author of more than fifty works, including, translated into Spanish: Aquí no, ahora no, Tú, mío, Tres caballos, Montedidio, El peso de la mariposa, Los peces no cierran los ojos, El crimen del soldado, La palabra contraria, Sólo ida. Poesía completa, Historia de Irene, La natura expuesta, Imposible, Las reglas del Mikado and his latest book, La edad experimental (Seix Barral, 2026). He taught himself different languages, including Hebrew and Yiddish, and has translated numerous texts into Italian, among them some of the books of the Bible. Considered one of the most important authors, his books have been translated into thirty languages and have won a range of awards, including the Leteo prize, the Petrarca prize, the France Culture prize, the Femina Étranger and the European Union Prize for Literature.
- Writing, No Retreat
