Gabriele Romagnoli
Solo bagaglio a mano (Carry-On Only)
Feltrinelli, September 2015, 96 pages

“Among the many factors that make Gabriele Romagnoli a good friend to anyone who loves reading (his news reports, his commentary, his novels), there’s the ability to never be predictable, the carefully cultivated gift for entertaining.”
la Repubblica

A metaphor of a way of living which urges the liberation from every single need.

Not to encumber: that’s one of the few perspectives that can be considered positive, effective, maybe even morally and politically valuable in life. Gabriele Romagnoli got to think about it in Corea, while he was virtually dead, locked up in a wooden crate for the purpose of an odd ritual-experiment. In the claustrophobic silence of that coffin, here come the stories, the reflections, the obsessive thoughts about restraint. The carry-on, for example. A baggage that requires a choice, an evaluation of the essential. The carry-on becomes metaphor of a way of living which implies that loss is actually an asset, and urges the liberation from every single need, without fear of “without”. In Carry-On Only  Romagnoli pinpoints a crucial theme of contemporary society and global outliving, and writes one of his most flavorful works, the story of a rebirth, of an awakening. He does it without magniloquence. Without arrogance. Without.

 

Gabriele Romagnoli

Gabriele Romagnoli - © Adolfo Frediani

Gabriele Romagnoli was born in Bologna and lives in Rome. He is a journalist, writer and screenwriter and is currently the director of Rai Sport.
After his debut in 1985 with the short story Undici Calciatori, included in the collection Giovani Blues, an anthology of young talents edited by Pier Vittorio Tondelli, he has published several novels and essays: Navi in bottiglia. 101 microracconti (1993), Oggetti da smarrire (1995), In tempo per il cielo (1995), Video cronache (1997), Passeggeri. Catalogo di ragioni per vivere e volare (1998), Louisiana blues (2001), L’artista (2004), Non ci sono santi. Viaggio in Italia di un alieno (2006), Solo i treni hanno la strada segnata (2008), Un tuffo nella luce (2010), Domanda di grazia (2013), Solo bagaglio a mano (2015), Coraggio! (2016), Senza fine (2018) and Cosa faresti se (2021). His most recent book is Sogno bianco (2022).

 

“Among the many factors that make Gabriele Romagnoli a good friend to anyone who loves reading (his news reports, his commentary, his novels), there’s the ability to never be predictable, the carefully cultivated gift for entertaining.”
la Repubblica

Foreign rights sold in
Germany: Kösel
Spain: Ático de los Libros

Italian and international editions

· · · · · ·