In Esther Kinsky’s novel “Rombo”, seven inhabitants of a remote mountain village in Northern-Italy (Friuli) recount how, in 1976, a devastating earthquake impacted their lives.

“M: Son of the Century” chronicles the rise to power of the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, covering the early years of his political career from 1919 to 1925, in the aftermath of the First World War. The book spans nearly 800 pages of detailed descriptions of political struggles in post-war Italy – particularly the successes of the socialists and communists in the first elections after the war, the general strikes they organised, the fear among the Italian bourgeoisie of a Communist revolution and civil war reminiscent of the violent events in the Soviet Union, as well as the frustration of nationalists and veterans with Italy’s modest territorial gains. All of this led to widespread polarisation, violent clashes between political extremes, terrorist attacks, gang violence, banditry, and outright murders committed by Fascists against their political opponents. It culminated in the “March on Rome” and Mussolini’s appointment as prime minister – and later dictator – of Italy.

“I’m Staying Here” is a novel that explores how international tensions and Italian nationalist policies impacted the lives of the German-speaking population in South Tyrol from the 1920s to the 1950s. The story is narrated from the perspective of Trina, a German language teacher who loses her job and resists the ‘Italianisation’ policies of Mussolini and later of the Italian Republic. As the Nazis rise to power in Germany and Austria, her daughter migrates to Germany, and her son joins the German army.

“The Eight Mountains” is a novel about the friendship between two boys from different backgrounds and their complicated relationships with their families. Pietro, a city boy from Milan, spends his summers in the Aosta Valley, where he befriends a local boy named Bruno. When they grow up, their lives take different paths – Pietro travels the world while Bruno remains in the mountains. But despite their differences, they manage to keep their friendship alive.

Cesare Annunziata is a bad-tempered and lonely widower who has made a mess of his life and seems quite content with it. However, when he meets his new neighbour Emma, his attitude begins to shift. Not that he turns into a sweet old grandfather, but at least he starts to appreciate the value of his family and friends again.

In “The Pope’s Daughter”, Nobel Prize-winning author Dario Fo recounts the life of Lucrezia Borgia, the famous — or infamous — daughter of the Renaissance pope Alexander VI. The book is written as a rehabilitation of Lucrezia Borgia, portraying her as a woman shaped by violent times and by her own unscrupulous family, rather than the poisoner and incestuous adulteress of popular legend. It can be read as an ode to a woman caught in a male-dominated world, but also as a search for historical truth and a critique of the stream of misinformation — with echoes that resonate in the present day, including modern Italian politics.

“How to Be Both” is a novel that consists of two distinct but interconnected stories. One part is told by George, a teenage girl from modern-day Cambridge whose mother has recently passed away, and who recalls a trip they took to Ferrara, a city in Northern Italy. The other part is narrated by Francesco del Cossa, a 15th-century Italian Renaissance artist who painted the famous frescoes in the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara.

Clara Salvemini, a young woman and the daughter of a wealthy property developer in Bari, southern Italy, is struck by a lorry on a motorway and dies. Her death is ruled a suicide, but is that really the case? When her half-brother Michele returns to Bari, he begins to investigate his sister’s self-destructive life of drugs and infidelity, as well as his father’s business dealings, uncovering the corruption and moral decay behind his family’s commercial success.

“La Superba” tells the story of a writer who relocates to Genoa in northern Italy and immerses himself in the city’s dark alleys, bars, and underground scenes. At the same time, he writes about his longing for the love of a beautiful woman. It is an entertaining yet often provocative book. At its core, it portrays a modern European city and its challenges—immigration, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and crime—while also celebrating its rich traditions and long history.

My Brilliant Friend” is the internationally bestselling novel by Elena Ferrante that tells the story of two young girls, Elena Greco (also known as Lenù) and Raffaella Cerullo (known as Lila), who grow up in a working-class neighbourhood in Naples during the 1950s. They dream of escaping the poverty, violence, and lack of education that surrounds them.