Gianrico Carofiglio has been a Magistrate and an anti- Mafia Judge for many years. Between 2001 and 2006 he was a consultant to the Parliamentary Anti-mafia Commission and, following the April 2008 elections, he now sits in the Italian Senate.

Gianrico Carofiglio is the most celebrated Puglia author of all time. He has sold over 2.5 million books and hasbeen translated into many different languages including English, French, German, Catalan and Swedish. His debut novel ’Involuntary Witness’ is now in its 49th edition. ‘Ne qui ne’ Altrove’ sold 150,000 copies in just over a month. Il paradosso del poliziotto, Nottetempo edition, March 2009, is Gianrico carofiglio's latest book.

 

His writing career began in 2002 with ’Involuntary Witness’, which introduced a new literary genre, the Legal Thriller. The main character, lawyer Guido Guerrieri, earns the author a host of literary prizes including the Rhegium Iulii; the Città di Cuneo; the Città di Chiavari and the prestigious Marisa Rusconi prize. 

In 2003 ‘A walk in the Dark’, another bestseller with Guido Guerrieri as the hero earned Gianrico Carofiglio more prizes: Lido di Camaiore and the coveted prize of the Biblioteche di Roma. In 2007 the same book was declared, by German readers, the ‘Best International Noir of the Year’.
In 2005 he won the Premio Bancarella with 'The Past is a foreign Country’ - recently made into a film and shown at the London Film Festival 2008.
Guido Guerrieri returned in 2006 to star in ‘Reasonable Doubts’ - and won further prizes: the Viadana Prize 2007 and Tropea Prize 2008.
The author is also a graphic novelist. In 2007 ‘Cacciatori nelle tenebre’ earned Gianrico Carofiglio the Martoglio Prize.
In 2007 an essay exploring the art of asking and its relationship with the concept of truthfulness titled, ‘L’Arte del dubbio’ became another success story. Most recently, in September 2008, the author was the recipient of yet another coveted prize: the Bremen Prize.

On 6 November 2008 Gianrico Carofiglio’s latest book, ‘Ne’ qui ne’ altrove – una notte a Bari’ hit the bookstores. In just over a month it sold 150.000 copies. 

 

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a child. I would say that my work as a Magistrate had steered me away from that course.

Different ones, obviously. I became a committed writer during a deep personal crisis (some would say depression) when I lost interest in everything, at the end of the summer of 2000. During that time I had a feeling that I had no choice but to write. That is, trying to make my childhood dream of becoming a writer come true.

 

Ask yourself what is it that you really enjoy doing and find a job that allows you to ‘translate’ this - whatever it is - in your work. This is affirmation, which has nothing to do with money or social success.

I would say, yes, for the better. It’s a great feeling.

New York.

No. I believe (this is a very personal point of view) that one writes better if stimulated by other activities. It’s something that enables you to be more in touch with the world and the people in it. That’s where good stories come from.

 

I read most things, even in strange scenarios. I even keep a book in the car to make the most of traffic jams…