Born in Rome in 1966, Niccolõ Ammaniti is today considered one of the most talented writers of his generation, with all his books having been translated into French, German, Spanish, Greek and Russian. His first novel, "Branchie" was published in 1994 and this was swiftly followed in 1995 by "Nel nome del figlio", an essay on adolescence written from the viewpoint of a child and his father (in actual fact Niccolõ and his father, Massimo, a psychology professor). Ammaniti's second novel, "Ti prendo e ti porto via", a heartfelt account of 2 unusual and tormented love stories, was published in 1999. In 2001, Ammaniti wrote what many believe to be his best novel yet, earning him the Premio Viareggio and the first to have been translated in English. "Io non ho paura" is a breathtaking novel which vividly describes through the eyes of a child the story of 9 year old Michele who discovers a desolated farmhouse in which he finds a hole hiding a secret that is to shatter his illusions on good and evil and which will lead him to question and doubt those closest to him.