Sandro Veronesi

Is it harder to stay still or to be constantly on the move? An inconspicuous hero of a family story, which the reader must piece together for himself from the fragments of life conveyed by the fairly ironic narrator, is Marco Carrera, an eye doctor, nicknamed Hummingbird: initially because of his small stature and later because of his determined efforts to stay in one place despite the disasters that lay in store for him. Reading this melancholic novel, whose main topics are death and dying, yet which exudes faith in life and humanity, is like leafing through a photo album, going through a dusty archive, watching old films, or listening to old records.

Published by Kniha Odeon, 2021

Sandro Veronesi (born 1959) is an Italian novelist, essayist, and journalist. He originally studied architecture at the University of Florence. He made his literary debut as a poet and later turned to prose. He is the author of five novels, three essays, a play, and several screenplays. Two of his novels have been adapted into films. He has received numerous literary prizes for his work, including two of Italy’s most prestigious Strega awards.