The Chamberlain and the Wolf

Simona Baldelli is one of the three finalists for the 2025 Premio Campiello Junior in the 10–14 age category with a poignant coming-of-age novel exploring the bond between father and son. The story follows Giorgio, a 14-year-old boy growing up in the hills around Pesaro—the author’s homeland and a recurring setting in her works. Giorgio is grappling with all his fears: the dark, wolves, and the sea. But especially with his own identity as he transitions away from childhood and into the complex, uncharted terrain of adulthood. The one person who should guide him at this time is his father but he went off to war and came back a changed man. He has lost a leg and acquired a short temper. Giorgio hardly recognises him and feels lost, unable to build a sense of certainty and understanding. In the end, it is love for Marianna that pushes Giorgio to set out for the sea. One courageous night, helped by the friendship of a wolf, he finally finds his father—finding the real man within him, with all his fears and vulnerabilities. Told in a vivid and evocative language, rich with dialect that grounds it firmly in its setting, this is a tender story of growth, self-discovery, and change. A book to be read also for the special bond with an animal—in this case, a wounded wolf—which shows how caring for each other can teach us to care for ourselves.

Reading age: from 10 years old

Il ciambellano e il lupo
Simona Baldelli, illustrations by Francesco Chiacchio
Emons Edizioni, 2024