The Beasts

Born in San Donà di Piave (VE), a graduate in Veterinary Medicine, and a full-time writer. He collaborated for several years with newspapers, magazines, and websites dedicated to road trips, focusing on the history and traditions of the United States. He has had a long-standing interest in Ufology, Paranormal Phenomena, Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, and the History of the United States and Native Americans.

In addition to his love of animals, he has always cherished books since childhood. Like many people, one day he decided to write his own story. Since then, he has never stopped, and in 2004, he published his first book, followed by many others: adventurous, entertaining stories filled with various "animality" that are beloved and widely read by children and young readers.

A screenwriter, director, writer and film critic, Manlio Castagna has also been involved in the artistic direction of the Giffoni Film Festival for more than 20 years. He made his debut in children’s fiction in 2018 with the bestselling Petrademone trilogy (Mondadori), which has been translated into several languages. Since then, he has explored many different genres: from historical fantasy with La notte delle malombre (The Night of the Malombre) and Draconis Chronicon, to horror with Goodwill and Le Belve (The Beasts), passing through the “story” of cinema with the manual 116 film da vedere prima dei 16 anni (116 Films To See Before You’re 16) and the novel Dedalo & Dharma, up to social noir with Barriera (all for the Mondadori group). La reincarnazione delle sorelle Klun (The Reincarnation of the Klun Sisters) and Prova a non dormire (Try Not to Sleep) are his adult fiction books. In 2022, he made his film debut as a director and screenwriter with “Il viaggio degli eroi”, produced by Rai Cinema and rewarded with record audience numbers on Rai1.