Bruno Arpaia was born in Ottaviano (Naples) in 1957. He graduated with a degree in Political Sciences and in American History from the University of Naples, later developing his journalistic career in the newsrooms of Il Mattino and la Repubblica. He then worked as a freelance journalist, eventually becoming a regular contributor to the cultural pages of Il Sole 24 Ore. He also works as a publishing advisor and as a renowned translator of Spanish and Latin American literature, translating books by Fernando Aramburu, Javier Cercas, José Ortega y Gasset, Arturo Pérez Reverte, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and many others. In 2002, he was awarded the National Prize for Translation by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage. He has written several essays and novels, making his debut in 1990 with I forestieri, which won the Bagutta Opera Prima Prize. His extensive narrative work includes celebrated novels such as L'angelo della storia (2001, Selezione Campiello Prize and Alassio Centolibri Prize), and Il passato davanti a noi (2006, Napoli Prize and Comisso Prize). His versatility is further highlighted by his venture into thriller fiction with Prima della battaglia (2014), investigative narrative with Il fantasma dei fatti (2020), and his intimate memoir Ma tu chi sei (2023). Furthermore, he has deeply explored climate fiction with Qualcosa, là fuori (2016) and his most recent novel, Il mondo senza inverno (2026).

(photo: © Festivaletteratura)