InterRail

InterRail was my second published novel, although in fact it was the first full-length book I wrote. An earlier version, which I had written in Italian and which had been translated into English by Andrew Brown, was picked up by a big British agent, with whom I parted ways before he could even send it around. Unhappy with this first version, I rewrote the entire book in English, changing the plot and turning the original first-person story into a third-person narrative. Despite its convoluted writing and publishing history, this is a book I am very fond of, as it’s about Europe and a vision of a younger me InterRailing across the Continent without a care in the world. The book was translated into German as Irgendwohin and published in hardback by Thiele Verlag and in paperback by Piper Verlag. If you can read German, here you can read a piece on Deutschlandfunk website, which is a summary of my interview for the prestigious Büchermarkt programme (26th February 2016).

The book was endorsed by the InterRail company (Eurail), who invited me to Leipzig in 2012 for a special event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of InterRail. There I had the pleasure to meet many InterRail aficionados and Guinness Record holders. Thanks to my book, some lucky readers won a free InterRail pass across Europe.

“InterRail is delightful, frothy and sweet as a well-sugared cappuccino. It slips down a treat.” The Scotsman

“Conveying the wonderful youthful sense of the great possibilities of life all being in front of you, and freshness and openness to … experiences.” The Regency Magazine

 

 

 

 

When Francesco decides to embark on his first trip outside his native Italy, he leaves behind a difficult relationship with his father, the narrow vistas of a small provincial town and the stifling atmosphere of a country he feels has become degraded. All he brings with him are a change of clothes, a map of Europe and the desire to discover new places, new people and, perhaps, a new life. But a chance encounter in Munich takes him off course, on an incredible journey that will see him fall in love in Sweden, lose all his money in Amsterdam, sleep rough in the streets of London, win big in Monte Carlo and get caught up in an international imbroglio.

Born out of the author’s own experiences as a young InterRail traveller, this modern picaresque novel is a celebration of a life of freedom and a Europe without boundaries.

Available for purchase from the publisher’s website