Pietro Citati (Florence, 1930) has written, among other books, Goethe (1970, 1990), History first happy, then very sad and fatal (1989), Tolstoy (1983, 1996), The light of the night (1996; Cliff, 2011), Kafka (1987; Acantilado, 2012) and Leopardi (2010; Acantilado, 2014). His works have been awarded the Viareggio, Strega, Medici and Grizane Cavour prizes.