Of these, Dorina Olivo was particularly effusive in transmitting her passion for a series of Italian authors I had not heard of, and for giving me copies of their books.

Though I conceived of this anthology in Italy, I am indebted, above all, to two people I had the good fortune to meet in America, at Princeton University: Alessandro Giammei and Chiara Benetollo. Alessandro, in whose company Nassau Street nearly felt like Rome, was a font of knowledge like no other, filling in countless gaps in my knowledge and providing crucial insight, guidance and solidarity. And Chiara, my phenomenally capable (and extraordinarily generous) research assistant, meticulously compiled and collated the materials, verified an infinite number of details and ascertained the complex editorial history of many of these stories. Their unfailing attention to this project throughout each phase of its gestation was essential.

At Princeton, I wish also to thank: Pietro Frassica, who provided the first set of photocopies that set me on my way; Michael Moore, Princeton’s Translator-in-Residence in 2018, who not only contributed his own marvellous translations to this anthology, but patiently and sagely edited mine; David Bellos and Sandra Bermann, esteemed colleagues who have welcomed me to the world of translation at Princeton; Dorothea von Moltke, libraia simpatica ed eccezionale; Lavinia Liang, a student in the class which first motivated me to put together this anthology, who spent hours at the photocopying machine on my behalf; Noreen McAuliffe and Erin West, in the Program of Creative Writing, for their impeccable assistance.

I owe a great deal to Sara Teardo, with whom I co-taught the bilingual translation workshop ‘To and from Italian’ in the fall of 2017 at Princeton. That class, which we dreamt up together, was the laboratory for the Italo Calvino story in this volume, and I thank her for her collaboration, consigli and companionship. A special thanks to our five students for collectively producing the first translation of Calvino’s text: Bes Arnaout, Owen Ayers, Charles East, Inés French, Jackson Springer. A pioneer class that did pioneering work, they did the heavy lifting, were undaunted, and went out of their way.

Enormous gratitude to all members of the excellent group of translators for their beautiful and invigorating work: Simon Carnell, Howard Curtis, Richard Dixon, Ann Goldstein, Jenny McPhee and Erica Segre, in addition to the aforementioned Michael Moore.

Thanks to the following intercontinental team of exacting readers, some in English, some in Italian, a few in both: Barringer Fifield, Stefano Jossa, Barry McCrea, Neel Mukherjee and Alberto Vourvoulias, my dear husband, who also happens to be an exceptional editor. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Tiziana Rinaldi Castro, a writer equally at home in English and Italian, who not only introduced me to Fabrizia Ramondino but has become my paladina, lending succour and support on the path of translation like no other.

Grazie di cuore to Marco Delogu for sustaining and championing the book when it was merely in progress; Domenico Starnone for friendship, encouragement and advice in making the final selection; Giovanna Calvino for leading me to an untranslated work by her father; Alessandra Ginzburg, for helping me to decide on the story by her mother.