Excerpt:
Rome-based writer Amara Lakhous had no luggage when he arrived in Italy from Northern Africa fifteen years ago.
At the time, his native Algeria was imploding into civil war and he was forced into exile. The only thing the young author carried with him was the final draft of his first novel. "It was my real passport", he told ANSA of the manuscript that would launch his career.
Today, the 40-year-old Lakhous is considered nothing short of a literary sensation in Italy.
In a country that has difficulties adapting to its growing multicultural society, his lyrical yet satirical stories revolving around immigration offer readers food for thought and raise important questions about identity. His third book, which he describes as "a real comedy born out of a great frustration", has just been published to rave reviews.