I’m proud to announce that my first novel—and fourth booth—An Osteria in Chianti is completed. It has been released in Italy (in English) by a small Italian publisher, and is now also available through amazon.com and dariocastagno.com. Hopefully, there will be news soon about a publisher in the United States…in the meantime, please find it online, and all orders will be signed and personalized on request. Much effort has gone into An Osteria In Chianti, and I sincerely hope that it will be a turning point in my career. As always, the support and kind words from all of you contribute greatly to the success of my work.

The inspiration to write the story occurred by chance when spotted a senior farmer sipping a glass of wine in silence. His look, seemingly in search of some obscure motivation, remained indelibly in my memory. With that face fixed in my brain, I commenced writing, enclosed

within my solitude all through the winter of 2008. The novel is also the fruit of my many years of interaction with elder members of my region to whom I have always been attracted because I envied the fact that they belonged to a lost world. Unfortunately, most of them have passed away, but I have remained lovingly attached to them, and I am proud to have become the keeper of their stories. To render the narrative realistic, I spent many nights at the bivouac, sleeping in uncomfortable, abandoned farmhouses, and roving around the woods. The true protagonist, Ultimo Gori, is undoubtedly a collection of numerous locals I have encountered over decades of life in Chianti—but also in this hermit there is probably a lot of me. Perhaps it is a sort of unconscious representation of my existence projected in the future…time, as usual, will likely grant the appropriate verdict.

Otherwise, I recently had the honor of opening the International Literary Fest on occasion of the Shanghai Expo, where I found myself in company of some of the worlds most acclaimed authors. Back at home after my adventure in China, I continue to conduct tours at the Dievole winery and meet groups at Borgo Scopeto for educational and historical presentations.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy An Osteria In Chianti, and I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Sincere regards from Chianti, Siena, Tuscany
Dario Castagno