So People Know It's Me by Francesca Maria Benvenuto

So People Know It's Me by Francesca Maria Benvenuto

'Love Ferrante? Read this. . . follows one young man's self-realisation in a foreboding juvenile prison' Telegraph

'An extraordinary tale of crime and punishment in Naples. . . Moving and thought-provoking, the novel deserves to appear on prize lists' FT

Zeno is fifteen years old, a minor by law, but he grew up long ago in the dusty heat of Naples. Winding down cobbled streets on his motorbike, he delivers baggies and picks pockets, doing whatever it takes to put food on the table and steal a few precious moments of freedom with his girlfriend, Natalina, in the city's starlit piazzas.

That's until a rival gang member pulls up beside him with a gun, and Zeno ends up on the brutal prison island of Nisida. Separated from all he loves by the cruel, glittering sea, with a cell window looking out at distant beaches, Zeno promises to write down the story of his life in exchange for a visit home. But the sea has eyes everywhere, and someone on the outside wants revenge.

Boldly original and deeply humane, So People Know It's Me unleashes Zeno's luminous, unguarded and defiant voice - dreaming of a fragile future beyond Nisida's walls.

'A dark fable set in the juvenile prison of Nisida. . Religion, the legal system, society and the State are criticised by the outcast Zeno with arguments drawn from his life . . . this novel is the merciless story of his conscience as a criminal born from need where readers will not only find horror but also - paradoxically - dignity and pride' - Napolista

'Giving voice to a fifteen-year-old boy incarcerated for murder in juvenile prison, Benvenuto crafts her writing, chiselling page after page with an unusual narrative voice, rich in ideas and surprising turns. The boys voice thus becomes the voice of a generation and an invisible social class, often cited only within the narrow space of crime news to signify the decadence of a metropolis like Naples . . . Illuminates and unfolds new spaces of an existence too often ignored and therefore always denied' - Il Manifesto

'Highly original and surprising' - La Gazzetta

'A flowing novel, which can be read in one breath through Zenos funny but at the same time crude words, and which drags the reader into the life and thoughts of someone who had to grow up too quickly' - Il Giornale Locale

Francesca Maria Benvenuto was born in Naples in 1986. She graduated with a Law degree in 2009 and completed a PhD in International Criminal Law in 2012. That same year she moved to Paris to study for a Master's Degree in Criminal Law at the Sorbonne. She then started her own law firm in Paris, where she currently works as a criminal lawyer. She is also studying for a Modern Languages degree at the University of Turin. Her debut novel, So People Know It's Me, was published in Italy by Mondadori in 2024.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781805331742
ISBN 10	1805331744
Title	So People Know It's Me
Author	Francesca Maria Benvenuto
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pushkin Press
Year published	2025-06-05
Number of pages	160
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.