In the organizer's words:

As part of the literature series in which Italian authors present their latest publications to the German public, the Italian Cultural Institute Cologne is hosting a meeting with Marco Balzano, the author of the novel Bambino, which was recently published in Italy by Einaudi and in German by Diogenes Verlag.

The conversation, which will be held in Italian with simultaneous translation, will be moderated by Cristina Giordano and will take place on Friday, February 27 at 7:00 pm.

We are in Trieste, immediately after the war. A man is drinking a coffee at the counter of a bar. Someone calls him, he turns around and feels the barrel of a gun in his back. Everyone knows him as "Bambino": the most ruthless blackshirt in town. This is a story as jagged as a bullet that pierces wars, borders and betrayal. As in "I'm staying here (Resto qui)", Marco Balzano returns to the great historical social novel. And he does so with his toughest, unforgettable character.

Born in Milan in 1978, Marco Balzano is currently one of the most successful Italian authors. His books have been translated into over thirty languages. He has always written poems and essays, short stories and novels. He won the Premio Campiello with his novel "La vita non aspetta" (Life does not wait). He was nominated for the Premio Strega with "Io resto qui" (I stay here), a bestseller in Italy and German-speaking countries, and won the Premio Elba, the Premio Bagutta and the Premio Mario Rigoni Stern as well as the Prix Méditerranée. Bambino, his latest work, was awarded the Premio Giovanni Comisso Sezione Narrativa in 2025.

Born in Milan, Cristina Giordano has lived in Germany (Cologne) for 20 years, where she works as a journalist, author and freelance presenter. She deals with political, social and cultural issues and works for various broadcasters and magazines, including WDR, in particular COSMO ITALIANO. She is a cultural correspondent for RSI (Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana) and works on various RAI TV formats, in particular "Presa diretta" and in the past also on "Ulisse", "Meraviglie" and other formats.

Italian with simultaneous translation.

Free admission.