Anna Gadd Colombi – författare

This book contains an annotated translation of Elena Nicolini's Il gomitolo di Geni into English. The author of the original shares her recollections of a happy childhood in the village of Genivolta, Italy. She imagines these memories as a ball of yarn, a "gomitolo", evoking the thread of Ariadne. In its depiction of the popular culture of the day, Nicolini's original provides a window into a world that no longer exists. Il gomitolo di Geni is replete with local knowledge, an Italian dialect, Cremonese, as well as nursery rhymes and children's games, which contribute to making the text incredibly complex to translate into another language. After analysing the original in depth, the translators and authors of this volume strive to preserve all of the culture-specific elements in their English translation by opting for a style that allows English readers to embark on a journey into the microcosm of Genivolta.