The first magical encounter with the poetry of the written word

As in a fairy tale it all began with a little girl who had a strange thing happen . Her imagination sucked her in and she could dive into the river, swim underwater with the fish, jump into the Milky Way. Or she hovered in mid-air when she felt an intense amazement, a sense of connection with nature, an emotion that hit her like a revelation, transporting her elsewhere, into silence. It was as if sounds and voices were calling her and she let herself be carried further and further away. Like that day at school when he couldn't get off anymore. But for the first time the others noticed. Then the teacher climbed onto a chair and, stretching out her arm, held out a pencil to hold on to. The little girl happened to take her feet off the ground again. In order not to get carried away, she always kept her pencil in her pocket and, instead of flying away, she did an act that changed her life forever: she began to write. Thus he could continue to soar, but without losing contact with the world and with others.

Autobiographical story and universal fairy tale on the importance for every child to recognize what makes him dream, "And instead of flying away " (Edizioni Corsare, 2022, pp. 32) brings together the writer's talent of Silvia Vecchini and the inspiration of the illustrator Beatrice Bandiera to give life to a symphony of words and drawings that evoke deep harmony with nature, the beneficial effect of silence and the journey to other worlds that poetry and art in general can inspire.

We ask Silvia Vecchini where did the need for a story that takes its cue from her biographical story come from?
«From gratitude for the fortunate encounter I had with words thanks to a much loved teacher, Lucia. It was she who opened the door to poetry and writing for me as a means of expressing myself, telling stories, inventing, creating. Something I badly needed and which came to me as a gift from his hands. This loving, demanding, totally attentive and present teacher, with a great passion for the depth and richness of words, delivered a magical one to me. An encouragement to seek in the direction of poetry, a way often felt as marginal, secondary, if not accessory. While for temperament and sensitivity poetry was for me what I already encountered in things, a vital reality, full of meaning, never fully explainable. A presence. Hearing this recognition was very important».

What did writing mean to you? And what does it represent today?
«The desire to express myself through writing, especially in verse, was born very early and with great clarity. I didn't have role models or particularly easy access to books, but I felt the strength and beauty of words. I felt that they corresponded to visible and invisible things that in this way could be named, explored, known more deeply, shared. Writing has been an important key to knowing myself, orienting myself but also reaching out to others and the world. Writing had in itself two very precious times, recollection and openness, linked to each other like times of the same breath. As a child and as a young girl writing was a way to find my place, understand, get to know better. It continues to be like this. For years, however, I have wanted to do this research alongside girls and boys, girls and boys. I like to find a point of contact between me and them and try to tell the mystery that we are».

Why do men and women teachers have such a valuable role?

«Those who teach have the privilege of spending a lot of time with boys and girls, of being able to listen to their thoughts and questions as they arise, of gathering confidences, fears, enthusiasms, of opening their knowledge towards new discoveries, experiences, meetings. That's a lot! This honor also carries with it a great responsibility. We all remember at least one teacher who left a positive, encouraging, sometimes decisive mark on our lives. I would say that, beyond one's results and the scholastic adventure, the teacher we remember is the teacher who saw us, that person who perhaps understood something about us even before we did. It doesn't necessarily mean recognizing a talent on their part, something to label right away. It is the ability to pay attention to who we are. It is this posture that delivers 'the magic word', that is, it makes possible an encounter, a knowledge, an opportunity for growth and change. It goes without saying that sometimes the opposite happens. It is therefore even more important to recognize those who manage to leave a good mark, to do well in teaching, one of the most complex and challenging professions».

What did Beatrice Bandiera's illustrations add to your words?
«Beatrice has interpreted this story giving in my opinion a great prominence to the mystery of these moments of contemplation and knowledge that the protagonist experiences. Many first times of amazement, listening to something that, hidden in everyday life, vibrates and attracts his attention. The deep green of the trees, the orange and yellow, the blue of the night, the full pink seem to signal in these moments something dense, of a reality that approaches, lets itself be known».