Professor “Strafalcioni”

Pierdomenico Baccalario has been writing children’s novels since 1997, when he won the Il Battello a Vapore literary prize with La strada del Guerriero (The Way of the Warrior) using his neighbour’s name. Since then, his bestsellers have been written under as many pseudonyms (the best known being Ulysses Moore and Irene Adler), translated into more than thirty languages and published with major Italian and foreign publishers. He has collaborated with Lucca Comics & Games for more than twenty years, has written for Repubblica, and is a columnist for the newspaper Corriere della Sera’s La Lettura literary supplement. In 2014, he founded the Book on a Tree creative agency in London.

Luigi Spagnol was an Italian editor and translator, known for revolutionizing children's publishing. He began his career by translating works by authors such as P.G. Wodehouse and A.A. Milne, before becoming president of brands like Salani, Vallardi, and Ponte alle Grazie. He discovered and brought to Italy international successes such as Harry Potter and Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly, and launched authors like Philip Pullman and David Almond. His passion for children's literature allowed him to leave behind one of the most appreciated catalogs in the world, which continues to inspire readers of all ages.