Niccolo Ammaniti: About the Author Presentation, Investigating “I’m not Scared”

Julia Michie

Background:

-Born on September 25, 1966 in Rome, Italy

-Studied Biology at Rome University

-Worked as a fish-breeder while studying at the University

-Passed only 16/18 required exams to obtain a degree in Biology

-Began writing from “white lie”: told his father, Massimo Ammaniti, that he passed all

the exams, and needed a place for his thesis. He used his father’s office and began writing.

-He wrote: “Branchie!” based on his own life events: the transformation of his career

opportunities changed his life. In the book, the main character was a fish-breeder with terminal

cancer, and adapted his life based on his impending death from illness. Changing and adapting

attitude towards terminal illness, positively impacted the character’s survival rate in the novel.

The change in Ammaniti’s life began turning around, after failing out of the University and

began writing.

-His friend promised to publish this half-written novel in 1994, his first novel!

Career Timeline:

Novels/Short Stories:

-novels:

-1994: “Branchie” (gills)

-1995: “Nel nome del filgio: l'adolescenza raccontata da un padre e da un

figlio” : written with father, (pyschological treatise)

 -1997: “Anche il sole fa schifo” (radioplay)

-1998: “L'ultimo capodanno dell’umanità” (the last new years eve of

humanity)

-1999: “Ti prendo e ti porto via” (I’ll grab you and carry you away)

-2001: best known novel: “Io non ho paur”, translated in English in 2004:

“I’m not scared”

-2006: “Come Dio comanda” (as God commands/crossroads)

-2007: “Anna” and “I’ll Steal You Away”

-2008: “Crimini”

-2009: ‘Che la festa cominci” (let the games begin)

-2010: “Io e te” (me and you)

*2005: Directed a documentary: “The Good Life”

-short story collection:

-1996: “Fango” (mud)

*breif summary of the short stories*

Movie/Screenwritings:

-1966: appeared in the movie: “Cresceranno i carciofi a Mimongo”

-1998: -“L'ultimo capodanno dell’umanità” : Ammaniti wrote the screenplay,

made into a movie

-1999: “Branchie!” made into a movie

-2001: “Gone Bad”: screenplay

-2003:“I’m not scared” adapted into a film

 *breif synopsis of film adaptation*

-2004: “Il siero della vanità” (the vanity serum): screenplay

-2008: “As God Commands” adapted to a film

-2012: “Me and You” made into a movie

*breif summary of the most popular films & why*

Awards/Honors:

- 2001: Viareggio-Repaci award for fiction, for: “Io non ho paura”, youngest to

win this award (34)

-2007: Premio Strega award for “As God Commands”

“I’m not scared” analysis:

Ammaniti writing style:

-A common trend: writing in the point of view of a child

-Usually discusses ideas of morals, and how to overcome situations with ethical

dilemmas

“I’m not Scared:”

*breif summary of the novel/writing style in the novel: use of similes/metaphors,

mood, conflicting morals*

-Themes to discuss: coming of age, good vs evil, loss of innocence

Quotes regarding theme:

 “Papa was the bogeyman. By day he was good, but at night he was bad. All the

others were gypsies. Gypsies disguised as people. And that old man was the king of gypsies and

papa was his servant. I had imagined the gypsies as elf-like creatures that moved very quickly,

with foxes’ ears and chickens’ feet. But they were really just ordinary people,” (Ammaniti, 91).

“Cats, when they catch lizards, play with them, they play with them even if the lizard is

all open and its innards are hanging out and it has lost its tail. They follow it calmly, they sit

down and knock it and amuse themselves till the lizard dies, and when it’s dead they hardly

touch it with their paw, as if it disgusted them, and the lizard doesn’t move any more and then

they look at it and go away,” (Ammaniti, 192).

*may include more quotes to discuss how the similes and metaphor developed the mood

and contributed to the themes of the novel

Images Used:
Sources:

“Ammaniti, Niccolò 1966–.” Contemporary Authors, Encyclopedia.com, 17 Apr. 2020,

www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/ammaniti-niccolo-1966.

Mark Whelan. “I'm Not Scared.” Mark Whelan, 12 Sept. 2014,

markwhelansliteraryblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/im-not-scared/.

BookBrowse. “Niccolò Ammaniti Author Biography.” BookBrowse.com, www.bookbrowse.com/

biographies/index.cfm/author_number/880/author/niccol%C3%B2-ammaniti.

“NICCOLÒ AMMANITI.” Niccolò Ammaniti, www.niccoloammaniti.it/libri_eng.html.

Ammaniti Niccolò, and Jonathan Hunt. I'm Not Scared. Canongate, 2004.