Featured Interview With Paolo G. Grossi
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Milan, Italy. I lived in a few European capitals before settling down in London about thirty years ago.
I met my partner David roughly fifteen years ago (we don’t have a precise anniversary date). Plans include at least one book every year and a slow move to Berlin. We still love London, so we will try to split our time between these two fantastic cities.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Although I have always loved reading and writing, I’d never thought of taking it up as a career.
I was the editor of the school magazine in Milan and have written an autobiographical account of my coming of age in Italy, though I doubt I will ever try to publish it.
I am of course near retirement and the idea of writing a full novel (or, more exactly, a collection of short stories) came at the onset of lockdown when I found myself at home with not very much else to do. David was working from home, so I decided to set up my writing den in the dining room and the rest is history (or, more pertinently, “historical fiction”).
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Historical fiction is of course what I like to read most. Mary Renault and Madeleine Miller are among my favourites. Stephen Fry and Hilary Mantel too.
Mary Renault’s semi-fictional account of Alexander the Great in The Persian Boy is one of her best books.
Stephen Fry’s re-telling of Greek mythology is gripping and very funny.
I’m looking forward to read ‘Troy’, his latest work.l
These authors are my main inspiration; the nest project revolves around Renaissance Italy but I won’t say more on that.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Tiergarten Tales is a collection of short stories occasionally linked to each other.
The periods are varied: from Frederick the Great’s 1780s Prussia to 1890; theWeimar Republic of 1931 through the National Socialists’ rise to power and the final days of the war in 1945.
There are also two o three tales in modern times, right after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
It is a book about feelings and emotions. It is not a book about gay rights movements or political developments. The characters are imaginary but they could have easily existed in the context of the years in which they are portrayed.
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