Antonio Spiga: from Marmilla he rides the wave of success with his novels
Now he lives in Liguria and dedicates himself to his lifelong passion: writing
Antonio Spiga, the 75-year-old former Bulgari director, has always maintained a strong bond with Lunamatrona, the town where he spent most of his youth. Born in Siddi, a few kilometers from Lunamatrona, Spiga now lives in Liguria and dedicates himself to his lifelong passion: writing. He is moved in recounting the life journey that from Siddi, where he was born, and Lunamatrona, where he spent his childhood and adolescence, brought him to Genoa. Arrived in Liguria he wrote fairy tales and stories for children with cancer at Gaslini in an exodus to the peninsula that took place for work reasons. It was the '70s, he was just sixteen: «My father Adelchi was called to build a complex of palaces and the Morandi bridge. Hunger and desperation drove us to cross the Tyrrhenian Sea». A step that became important for him as he was able to study and make a career.
"The Devil's Cradle"
Two days ago Spiga was at Lunamatrona to present his fourth literary effort. "The Devil's Cradle". The event saw the participation of many lifelong friends, as well as that of many onlookers eager to know the face of this passionate novelist. Spiga told stories and anecdotes from the past.
In just over three weeks since its launch, "La Culla del Diavolo" has sold 5,000 copies, an excellent result considering that Spiga has decided to donate the proceeds to the parish of San Giovanni Battista in Lunamatrona. «Writing is always a great pleasure, I was given a gift and through this I have continued above all with the idea of doing good to others less fortunate. I hope to help those in real need. The proceeds from the sales will be available in two years,” Spiga says happily. The plot of his new novel develops precisely in Lunamatrona: the town is shocked by a series of mysterious deaths that throw the local population into terror and bewilderment. The story is full of unexpected twists and surprises that will keep readers in suspense until the very end.
On stage
During the meeting, the author was accompanied on stage, left, by Francesco Mereu, his childhood friend and faithful proofreader. It was Alfonso Merei, the father of his dear friend Francesco who noticed in him the gift of writing. Alfonso was among the many who helped Antonio's family in times of difficulty. Spiga recalls, in this regard, the parish priest of the time, Don Dessì, who gave 100 lire vouchers to buy food.
Seated to his right, Giovanni Garau, councilor for culture of Lunamatrona. Councilor Garau thanked the writer on behalf of the community: «With his books he is giving prestige to our municipality, and I congratulate him for choosing to donate the proceeds to charity». Many took the stage: Italo Carruciu and Alessandro Medici, respectively mayor and former mayor of Lunamatrona, and Paolo Orrù, who dedicated a poem to him. "The very fact of donating the proceeds from book sales to the parish demonstrates a strong attachment to his country of origin and his affection for it," says Carruciu. For Lunamatrona, being at the center of such popular novels is important: «Its history, its particularities, its inhabitants and its way of life will be made immortal by the books of our fellow villagers and, in this way, our municipality will be known, appreciated and perhaps visited by those who will read their works», adds Carruciu. «He is a citizen of Marmilla, and all of Siddi is honored to have given birth to characters like him who are carving out an important space for themselves in Italian romance literature. In the 1940s and 1950s, Siddi was a forge of writers», says Marco Pisanu, president of the Marmilla Union of Municipalities, as well as mayor of Spiga's native town.
The works and the future
The other books by the author, sold over 95,000 times, include "Scarpette rosa e ciocche di capelli" volumes 1 and 2, which has as its protagonist a friend from the village who recently passed away, Ireneo Secchi. In his books Spiga never fails to include references to his origins and his closest friends. The author has decided to donate the proceeds to the National Cancer Institute, to contribute to the search for solutions to combat these brutal diseases.
His third novel, "The Jump of Quirra", is dedicated to the mysteries of the Polygons in Sardinia, in particular to that of Perdasdefogu, and sees the appearance of citizens of Lunamatrona known in childhood. The proceeds of the sales will be donated to the Gaslini Hospital.
But the fifth work is on its way: it will be set between the Giara di Siddi and the Museo de Sa Corona Arrubia, in the territory of Lunamatrona. Spiga will return to Sardinia in September to present two countries dear to him to the citizens.
