Born in Rome in 1966, Niccolò Ammaniti became internationally known for his 2003 novel Io non ho paura [I’m Not Scared]. He made his literary debut almost a decade earlier when he wrote Branchie [Gills] (1994). There are numerous anecdotes about how Ammaniti became a writer almost by chance. His lack of interest in finishing his degree in biology led him to write Branchie rather than complete his dissertation. His first novel is characterized by a rather bizarre plot. The protagonist is a terminally ill young man (a fish-breeder) who, after having rejected any cure for his disease, accepts the strange invitation of an old lady to build an aquarium in India. From this rather peculiar pretext the …

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Citation: Mazzola, Claudio. "Niccolò Ammaniti". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 September 2022 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14778, accessed 25 April 2024.]

14778 Niccolò Ammaniti 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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