Thea Lenarduzzi belongs in two worlds and two languages, and in her unusual, wide-ranging and beautiful memoir Dandelions, she meditates on the divisions and the gifts of her doubled identity. The flower that gives her her title is an emblem of diaspora, as over four generations her family has commuted between Friuli and England (Manchester, Sheffield) in search of work, mainly in the past as terrazzieri. Dandelions is distinguished by the richness, tenderness, and sensitivity of the portraits it gives, especially of the author’s beloved Nonna, the cornerstone of the book and a fountainhead of stories, know-how, folklore, and history – though some of the latter is confused and perplexing.

Thea Lenarduzzi will be in conversation with Marina Warner, who has written about her own Italian antecedents, (The Lost Father, Inventory of a Life Mislaid). They will discuss many themes that Dandelions explores: migration, belonging, belief, the unswept corners of history, the intense vivid pleasures of daily existence, and the questions posed by writing memoirs, especially about the living.

The event is taking place at the Italian Cultural Institute (39 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8NX)

Book to attend here (free)