Writer and artist Camilla Trinchieri Crespi is best known for her seven novels in “The Trouble With...” mystery series that feature Italian amateur sleuth Simona Griffo.  She has also published several short stories in mystery anthologies and recently finished her newest novel, Toward Tomorrow, which will be published in Italian by MarcosyMarcos.  In 2010 her book Finding Alice, loosely based on her mother’s life in Europe during WWII, was published in Italian. Ms. Crespi’s book, The Price of Silence, was written under her real name Camilla Trinchieri and published in 2007 by Soho Press, followed by paperback and Italian editions in 2008.

            Born in Prague to an Italian diplomat father and an American mother, Ms. Crespi came to the U.S. when she was 12 and returned to Italy after graduating from Barnard College. In Rome, she worked in the movie industry as a dubbing producer/director with such prominent producers as Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Lina Wertmuller. She returned to New York City in 1980, married, received an MFA from the Columbia's Graduate Writing program and became an American citizen.  A resident of New York City, she is a past president of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  www.camillatrinchieri.com.

Award-winning writer, poet and playwright Richard Vetere wrote the critically praised novel The Third Miracle published by Simon & Schuster.  He co-wrote the book’s 1999 screenplay adaptation from Sony Picture Classics that starred Ed Harris, was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Agneiszka Holland.  His third volume of poetry, The Other Colors in a Snow Storm, was just published by Bordighera Press.

Last month Mr. Vetere’s first feature film Vigilante, released in 1983, was deemed a “cult classic” by The New York Times and screened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Mr. Vetere’s plays include Caravaggio; Machiavell; One Shot, One Kill; and Gangster Apparel.  Caravaggio was translated into Italian and produced in Rome, Porto Ercole and Capri.  He was commissioned to write the book to a musical about Benedict Arnold.   A resident of New York City, Vetere was recently honored with the Pietro Di Donato John Fante Literary Award.

About Italian American Writers Association (IAWA)

IAWA aims to promote Italian American literature by encouraging the writing, reading, publication, distribution, translation, and study of Italian American writing. Since 1991, IAWA has given voice to writers through its Open Reading series at Cornelia Street Café every second Saturday of the month. For membership information, please visit www.iawa.net.  To learn more about IAWA, also visit the Italian American Writers Cafe blog at http://www.i-italy.org/bloggers/italian-american-writers-cafe

Contacts:

Maria Lisella, IAWA Board Member and Co-curator
Phone: (718) 777-1178

Email:  [email protected]

Amy Barone, IAWA Board Member

Phone:  (646) 942-4972

Email:  [email protected]