Dna Chef

Dna Chef

Guido is 42 and a successful chef. He has cooked in some of the best restaurants across Europe, but has hardly ever returned home to his family, in Puglia. He feels anger bubbling in his veins anytime he thinks about them. His father Bruno, ex-worker of an asbestos factory, was always a cold and detached man, and Guido has always felt like an outsider. The only family member he feels connected to is his late grandfather Giovanni, who, under the fascist regime, was detained as a political prisoner in the Tremiti Islands, where many homosexuals were detained as well. Giovanni was short and angry, just like Guido, and – so the story goes – famously cooked for the hunger-ridden prisoners a dish that no one has forgotten, the same dish that has secured Guido’s career in Michelin-starred restaurants. Being a chef must be something that runs in your Dna, just like anger, trauma and the feeling of never quite belonging. Now Guido’s father is ill, and can’t find the courage to tell his son. It is only his death, and a pandemic, that will bring Guido back to Puglia and force him to make peace with his origins.

Lepri gives us a family saga about intergenerational trauma which raises issues on masculinity, memory and exclusion. She effortlessly ties together great recipes, antifascism, homosexuality and modern anxieties. Her clean yet passionate prose makes for an addictive read that, in the end, invites readers to slowdown, rethink priorities, and find some time to cook.

Dna Chef

Guido Nocentini sabía que estaba destinado a convertirse en un gran chef: su abuelo Giovanni, un chef florentino confinado en las islas Tremiti durante el fascismo, todavía es recordado por los isleños por un plato excepcional: tagliatelle con salsa de erizo de mar, una exquisitez que su nieto también ofrece en un renombrado restaurante de Londres. ¿Coincidencia o ADN? Para cumplir los últimos deseos de su padre y confirmar algunas intuiciones, Guido regresa a San Domino, justo cuando está a punto de entrar en vigor el primer confinamiento en la isla. Le espera un pasado sorprendente, que incluye a Vittorio, quien falleció trágicamente el día de la boda de sus abuelos…

Voland

Founded in 1994 by Daniela Di Sora, Voland initially focused on Slavic literature, driven by a desire to introduce readers to cultures and worlds that were little explored but of great depth. The focus then shifted to other languages and regions, from France to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, and beyond. The publishing house’s catalogue features authors such as Georgi Gospodinov, Amélie Nothomb and Mircea Cărtărescu. Other international names published include Cortázar, Perec, Cardoso, Ovejero, Lem and Žadan. Great care is taken in the selection of translators.

The list of Italian authors is also extensive, including Vanni Santoni, Matteo Marchesini, Ilaria Gaspari, Demetrio Paolin, Nicola H. Cosentino, Valerio Aiolli and Roberta Lepri. Four of them have been shortlisted for the Strega Prize: Giorgio Manacorda with Il corridoio di legno (2012), Matteo Marchesini with Atti mancati (2013), Demetrio Paolin with Conforme alla gloria (2016) and Valerio Aiolli twice, with Nero ananas (2019) and Portofino Blues (2025).

Voland

Fundada en 1994 por Daniela Di Sora, Voland se centró inicialmente en la literatura eslava, impulsada por el deseo de dar a conocer culturas y mundos poco explorados pero profundos. La atención se centra entonces en otros idiomas y territorios, desde Francia hasta los países de habla hispana y portuguesa, y más allá. La editorial ofrece obras de autores como Georgi Gospodinov, Amélie Nothomb y Mircea Cărtărescu. Otros nombres internacionales publicados incluyen a Cortázar, Perec, Cardoso, Ovejero, Lem y Žadan. Se presta especial atención a la selección de los traductores y traductoras.

La lista de autores italianos también es extensa: Vanni Santoni, Matteo Marchesini, Ilaria Gaspari, Demetrio Paolin, Nicola H. Cosentino, Valerio Aiolli y Roberta Lepri. Cuatro de ellos figuraban entre la docena de candidatos al Premio Strega: Giorgio Manacorda con Il corridoio di legno (2012), Matteo Marchesini con Atti mancati (2013), Demetrio Paolin con Conforme alla gloria (2016) y Valerio Aiolli dos veces con Nero ananas (2019) y con Portofino Blues (2025).