Viola Di Grado

Viola di Grado is a novelist originally from Sicily. Her first novel, 70% Acrylic 30% Wool, published when she was 23 years old, made her the youngest winner of Italy’s 2011 Campiello First Novel Award and the youngest finalist for the prestigious Strega Prize. Her novels include: Hollow Heart (PEN Literary Award finalist), Bambini di Ferro Fuoco al cielo, and, her latest, Fame Blu (Blue Hunger, trans Jamie Richards, Scribe UK 2023), described as “a fearless story of queer love and obsession set against the glassy surfaces of Shanghai” from “one of Italy’s most electrifying voices.” Born in Catania, Viola studied East Asian languages and literatures in Turin and London and today lives in London.

Image credits: Corrado Lorenzo Vasquez