A Naples seen literally "from a dog's eye view," where the city becomes a theater of fate, illusions, and violence. This is the unique perspective from which this story comes to life. “The Tales of a Camorrista Dog” (The World of Suk), the new novel by the writer, playwright and human rights activist Pasquale Ferro.
The work will be presented Saturday, November 15 (6 p.m.) at The Spark bookstore in Naples (Via degli Acquari). The author will be in conversation with journalist Donatella Gallone.
To tell the story of the city and its shadows, weaving stories of Camorra, revenge and power with the disarming humanity of everyday gestures, is Clarabelle, a Yorkshire terrier puppy who inherits the narrative voice from her mother Pacchiana. Among the characters who move through the story, set in a Naples suspended between reality and imagination, are the crime boss Don Gennaro Misericordia, the lawyer Giorgio Miseria and his wife Isandra, the young idealist Annie, and the elderly Susumella, guardian of dreams and legends.
Ferro, activist and writer beyond the walls
Pasquale Ferro is a multifaceted figure: a playwright and novelist, he is also a well-known rights activist, remembered for founding the first gay sauna in southern Italy. For years he has collaborated with Antinoo Arcigay Naples to the project “Beyond the Wall”, building listening and support paths for LGBT+ people in prison.
His writing is characterized by a language that skillfully interweaves Italian and Neapolitan, realism and invention. Ferro is among the few Italian authors to have works on LGBTQIA+ issues published in Russia, despite the country's restrictive laws on public references to the queer community. His best-known books include "The Moon Exists," "Macedonia and Valentina," and "Rag Doll." "Tales of a Camorrista Dog," in particular, was published first in Russian and only later in Italy.
From page to stage
The presentation will also include a performance: some pages of the book will be interpreted by the actors of the theatre workshop. The other theatre, directed by Roberto Capasso. The readings, performed by Vittorio Borrelli, Marcella Tufano, Dario Mauro, and Marcello Rossini, will be accompanied by singing and tambourines, transforming the event into a true performance.
